A day a dead lizard was found inside a ‘chocobar’ ice-cream, in Giaspura, the local health officials on Monday issued a penalty on the manufacturer for failing to maintain hygiene standards in the production facility.
A seven-year-old had found the dead reptile in the ice-cream purchased from a roadside vendor on Sunday. As the contaminated ice-cream had been partially consumed by the child, he had to be provided prompt medical help. Though, he was reported to be fine upon reaching a nearby clinic.
District health officer (DHO) Dr Amarjit Kaur swiftly deployed a dedicated food safety team to investigate the matter. The team’s immediate priority was to inspect the manufacturing unit, supplying the vendor in question.
“Our team conducted a thorough inspection of the ice-cream manufacturing premises and observed significant hygiene lapses,” stated Dr Kaur.
“A sample has been collected for further analysis and a challan has been issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, due to the unhygienic conditions found,” she added.