CRPF mess had no food safety licence

Low-quality fish might have caused food poisoning

Low-quality fish prepared in temporary facilities, having no food safety licensing, could have led to food poisoning at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Camp at Pallippuram, as per the preliminary assessment of the Food Safety officials. A day after 195 jawans of the CRPF camp were admitted to various hospitals with food poisoning, the CRPF officials have remained tight-lipped and out of the reach of the media, even as an internal inquiry has been ordered.

This incident of food poisoning in a CRPF Recruit Training Centre comes after some BSF and CRPF jawans from different parts of the country posted videos online with complaints regarding food and lack of facilities.

Around 450 jawans from various States arrived in the camp a few days ago for training and have been housed in three barracks. Each of the barracks have separate mess halls. Soon after the dinner at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, some of the jawans complained of dizziness and stomach pain and a few others vomited. Some of them were taken to the Government Medical College Hospital and the A.J. Hospital in Kazhakuttam. As more people complained of uneasiness, all of those who consumed fish were taken to the medical college.

Denied entry

The Food Safety officials soon arrived at the camp, but they were denied entry.

“We were told by the officials at the gate that they have instructions from the top not to allow anyone inside. Health Minister K.K. Shylaja was visiting the jawans at the Government Medical College Hospital at this time. When we informed her of the incident, she got in touch with the CRPF officials. We were allowed in only after this,” says K. Anilkumar, Joint Commissioner of Food Safety.

According to him, the mess facilities did not have any food safety licensing.

Not permanent

“From what we know, these mess facilities are not for permanent use. It is used only when the batches arrive for training. Any facility that prepares food for a large number of people comes under compulsory licensing. In this case, this is more important because the jawans should be provided the best quality food. This fish used in the curry was found to be fried, indicating that it could be of low quality. It was brought from a market in Mariyanadu, near Kazhakuttam,” he said.

Samples collected

Samples of the fish curry, rice, water, and the oil used for cooking have been collected and sent to the Food Safety Department’s Chief Analytical Lab as well as the Police Department’s lab.

Despite many attempts, the CRPF officials have remained incommunicado. At the Government Medical College Hospital, the media personnel were not allowed inside the wards, to interact with the jawans who were admitted there.

109 return to camp

By evening, 109 of the 111 personnel who were admitted to the medical college hospital returned to the camp, as they were found to have recovered. Two personnel, who have fever and headache, are still admitted there.