The Food Wing of the District Health Department conducted an inspection at the canteen of a renowned private hospital and collected food samples following reports that the facility was serving expired tomato ketchup to visitors.
District health officials said the raid was planned after a video circulating on social media allegedly showed the canteen serving expired tomato ketchup. During the inspection, the team found that the manufacturing date printed on the small ketchup sachets distributed to visitors had been punched, making it difficult to read.
The department also seized 400 ketchup packets weighing 8 grams each from the canteen premises. Assistant Food Commissioner Rajinderpal Singh said samples of ketchup and other food items were collected during the inspection. The samples have been sent to a food testing laboratory for analysis.
The official said strict action would be taken if the samples fail quality tests. He also warned eateries across the district against using expired, substandard or spurious food products.
“Serving food that can potentially harm human health is not only illegal but also a crime against humanity. Food business operators must understand that their profits are not more important than a person’s health,” he said.
The official added that food samples are being collected regularly to check adulteration and ensure compliance with food safety standards. He urged residents to purchase food only from trusted vendors and report any shopkeeper involved in the sale or manufacture of substandard food items.
With thousands of food business operators in the city, monitoring each establishment is nearly impossible unless residents report irregularities to the authorities. The official assured that all complaints received from the public would be thoroughly investigated.
