As many as 11 people, including seven children, were hospitalised in Maharashtra's Palghar district after allegedly falling ill following the consumption of a birthday cake that allegedly contained a dead lizard, police said on Sunday. The incident took place at a building in the Takipada area of Nalasopara East.
3 children in ICU
Shortly after eating the birthday cake, 11 people, including four women and seven children, complained of a burning sensation in their chests, severe stomach pain and vomiting, a police official said. Among those taken ill was a two-and-a-half-year-old child. According to the official, some of the guests later noticed a dead lizard on a serving plate, triggering panic among those present.
The victims were rushed to a local hospital for emergency care.
Most patients were stable, while three children were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for close monitoring, a doctor said. "The children claimed that they found a dead lizard inside the cake. The exact cause of food poisoning is yet to be ascertained," a police officer said.
FDA raids bakery
Local authorities and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have launched an investigation into a Nalasopara-based bakery from where the cake was allegedly purchased for a woman's birthday celebration on Saturday, an official said.
Cake samples were collected and sent for laboratory testing to determine whether they were contaminated, the official said. Local authorities, along with FDA officials and Vasai-Virar Mayor Rajiv Patil, also inspected Chamunda Bakery, from where the cake was purchased.
Further action will be taken based on the findings of the FDA’s investigation, the official added.
Live rat inside ice cream crate
Earlier, a video showing a live rat inside an ice cream storage crate at a quick-commerce delivery hub in Kalyan, Maharashtra, has gone viral on social media, triggering concerns over hygiene and food safety standards at online grocery delivery facilities.
The footage, reportedly captured inside a local fulfilment unit in the Godrej Hill area of Kalyan, shows rodents moving around stored frozen food items. The incident has raised concerns among residents and consumers, with calls for authorities to inspect the facility and take appropriate action if food safety norms have been violated.
The video shows a rat moving inside an ice cream storage crate at the delivery facility. The footage has sparked criticism over the hygiene practices followed at quick-commerce fulfilment centres, where food products are stored before being delivered to customers.
(With PTI inputs)
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