Taking cognisance of Mail Today's report about a live rat being found inside a sealed packet of Brown-Hi Fibre bread in AIIMS, the Department of Food Safety of the Delhi government has decided to look into the matter.
"We will ask AIIMS authorities to submit a report about the entire incident. If everything that has been reported by the medical institute turns to be true, we will take stringent action against the food company," Dr Mrinalini Darswal, Commissioner, Department of Food Safety, told Mail Today.
Mail Today, in its special report, had on Monday reported a shocking incident in which a live rodent was found inside a sealed packet of Brown-Hi Fibre bread manufactured by M/s Bonn Nutrients.
The medical institute had issued a notice on September 24 in which it mentioned about the incident and barred the company from supplying any orders for a period of three years.
According to AIIMS medical superintendent Dr DK Sharma, the hospital authorities had received a complaint on July 29 which was forwarded by Professor Govind Makharia of the Department of Gastroenterology.
"Immediately after receipt of the written complaint, the said sealed packed of bread slice in which the live rat was found was taken into custody and the vendor was called for an urgent meeting that was held on July 29," the AIIMS medical superintendent said.
The medical institute issued a statement in this regard. "After long discussions and deliberations in this matter, the representative of the vendors intimated that long sealing/bottom sealing of the bread slice pack was not intact to almost 2-3 inches as is required and apprehension is that the rat must have entered through this opening somewhere during transit and this needs to be investigated," a statement issued by AIIMS said.
The medical institute cancelled the contract of the company on August 5 and the performance security of Rs 25,000 was forfeited.
"A show-cause notice was issued to it on September 9, reply to which was received on September 17 that was not found satisfactory. Thus, we have blacklisted and debarred the company from AIIMS for a period of three years for dealing in all tenders and contracts, etc," Dr Sharma said.
"A live rat was found on 29.07.2015 in the sealed packet of Brown-Hi Fibre Bread Slice manufactured by M/s Bonn Nutrients Pvt. Ltd and the company has failed to submit satisfactory reply to the showcause notice dated 09.09.2015," the notice said.
The Brown Hi-Fibre bread variety is served to patients admitted to various wards of AIIMS, including patients who have undergone surgery and those suffering from severe infections. Consumption of rodent-infected food could lead to fever, diarrhoea and even cause blood infection, etc, an AIIMS doctor said.
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