E-Paper
Sweet treat, bitter result: Laddoos leave 18 Lucknow residents on hospital beds
The shop from where the sweets were purchased was inspected by the Food Safety and Drug Administration officials on Saturday, who also took samples for lab testing
Consumption of contaminated sweets caused food poisoning among 22 people, including 11 children, many of whom had to be admitted to Balrampur Hospital, late on Friday night.
The shop from where the sweets were purchased was inspected by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) officials on Saturday, who also took samples for lab testing. The shop is located in the Raja Bazaar area.
Laddoos were distributed by a family in Rajajipuram after the birth of a child in the family. Soon after having those laddoos several people started vomiting. Eighteen of them had to be rushed to Balrampur Hospital.
“The patients were attended to in the emergency wing. In all, 18 people were admitted and now only two are there, while the remaining patients have recovered and were discharged from hospital,” said Dr Himanshu Chaturvedi, medical superintendent of the hospital, on Saturday.
Mohd Altaf, a resident of Akbari Gate said, “A baby boy was born in my sister’s house, so I purchased sweets from a shop and sent them to the family. Late at night I got the news that all those who had eaten the sweets fell ill, were vomiting and suffering from diarrhoea.”
“Those admitted told us they ate laddoos from a shop. We admitted them and treated them for gastrointestinal infections. They are stable now,” said Dr Pawan Kumar, director, Balrampur Hospital.
The team of FSDA reached the shop and inspected the manufacturing and storage sections. “Our team reached the shop on Tulsi Marg in Raja Bazaar. Some samples of the raw material and finished products were taken for a lab test. Once the report is available, further action shall be decided,” said JP Singh, chief food safety officer of Lucknow.