97 Employees Hospitalised In Bengaluru After Suspected Food Poisoning From Canteen’s Idli-Sambar

Earlier this week, around ninety-seven employees of a private company in Bengaluru were hospitalised after falling ill with symptoms consistent with food poisoning after eating idlis in the office canteen. Read on to know more about the development.

97 Employees Fall Sick After Eating Canteen Food

As per a report by Moneycontrol, the employees working in the Devananhalli office in Bengaluru had idlis and vadas for breakfast and rice with sambhar for lunch at the canteen on Tuesday. Post which, many of them began experiencing abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea by the evening. Several others were also hospitalised by Wednesday morning. The affected employees were admitted to two private hospitals and were treated with fluids; no casualties were reported.

Also Read: 5 Facts You Must Know About The Rameshwaram Cafe Before You Visit Its New Mumbai Outlet

As per the Bengaluru Rural District Health Officer, Dr Krishna Reddy, told the Deccan Herald, the samples of the leftover food have been collected and sent for laboratory testing, and the authorities are waiting for the results. The health officials stated that the case of the Bengaluru office canteen food is being treated as suspected food poisoning, with an investigation underway into storage, hygiene practices and food preparation at the canteen.

Employees informed the portal that the meals served were regular items commonly consumed at the workplace. But officials noted that fermented foods such as idli batter, if not stored properly, can easily be contaminated, especially during the summer season. Authorities have not yet identified the main cause of the illness and are awaiting test reports to determine whether bacterial contamination or other factors were involved.

Reports Of Vegetable Contamination In The City

The incident came just months after a report by the Central Pollution Control Board flagged the widespread contamination in the vegetable supply in Bengaluru. Back in February, News18 reported that a CPCB study highlighted that 26% of vegetable samples collected from markets supplying Bengaluru contained lead levels far exceeding permissible limits.

Also Read: Mumbai, Get Ready! Bengaluru’s Iconic Rameshwaram Cafe Is Coming To Churchgate!

The study tested 72 vegetable samples sourced from areas including Nelamangala, Kolar and Chikkaballapura, as well as other key retail outlets such as HOPCOMS and APMC markets. Out of which, 19 failed safety standards, with some showing extreme contamination. Out of all vegetables, brinjals were found to contain up to 20 times the permissible lead level, while little gourd and flat beans showed 18 times and nine times the contamination levels above the limit.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons (Representative Image)