Tag : Watch

Thiruvananthapuram: Shigella, Salmonella or E.coli? Which bacteria would they be getting, is what would be running in the minds of Keralites as they order food from an eatery, whether dining in or ordering via an app. This comes in the wake of a spate of suspected food poisoning cases in various parts of the state which last year got the second position at the national level in the State Food safety index, as part of World Food Safety Day. Despite this honour, the inspections carried out by the Health department -- on account of the suspected food poisoning incident in Kasaragod -- has revealed that more than a thousand eateries across the state were unlicensed or unregistered and had hundreds of kilograms of unclean meat in their storages. This would lead one to ask whether such inspections were carried out in the past and if yes, could it have prevented the Kasaragod incident where 16-year-old Devananda died and 58 others fell sick after consuming 'Shawarma' which health authorities later found out was contaminated with Shigella and Salmonella bacteria. Shawarma is a Levantine dish containing thinly sliced pieces of marinated meat, like lamb, chicken or beef rolled into a flat bread. A query by PTI to state Health Minister Veena George on whether regular inspections in the past could have prevented the incident went unanswered. Eating out is not often considered as a healthy option by many due to the manner in which the food is cooked -- like using too much oil, spices, salt or preservatives -- but now there is the added danger of bacterial contaminants also being a part of the ingredients. Would this deter people from eating out? Would it make them think twice? The answer is yes for some. Aswany S L, a banking professional i ...