The food safety authorities here on Thursday seized 81 sacks of rice on suspicion of chemical contamination. Unnikrishnan Nair P., Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, said the sacks were seized following reports that five workers who had been unloading the stock at a shop in Peroor developed uneasiness and were hospitalised. During an inspection, the workers also recovered a few empty packets of aluminium phosphide along with the rice sacks.
“The rice stock was being transported from a godown at Ettumanoor and preliminary probe suggests that the chemical, a highly toxic one often used as a fumigant in godowns, somehow got into it. Samples have been collected and sent to the government analytical lab in the capital,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the authorities also inspected the godown where the stock had been kept and collected evidence. Further course of action will be decided upon receiving the sample analysis report. Besides the food safety department, the police too have launched a probe into the episode.
