VIJAYAWADA: Two local ice cream manufacturers have come under the scanner of the Food Safety Officer (FSO) of Prakasam district after health concerns were raised regarding their products.
In one incident reported at Markapur in Prakasam district, a six-year-old girl who consumed an ice cream, manufactured at Narasaraopet in Guntur district, complained of sore throat, mouth swelling, and allergic symptoms on Tuesday. Her parents rushed her to the registered medical practitioner, and after one-and-a-half hour of treatment, her condition was stable.
The girl’s father, K Naresh, filed a complaint with the Food Safety Officer of Prakasam district. He suspected that the ice cream might have gone bad due to recent power outages caused by heavy rainfall.
In another incident reported in Podili on Wednesday, another customer lodged a complaint with the Food Safety Officer, stating that the ice cream he bought was spoilt. Incidentally, in this case also, the ice cream was manufactured in a company based in Guntur city.
It may be pointed out that both companies are registered by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India).
Inspection revealed that the ice creams were being sold without the manufacturing and expiry dates mentioned on the packaging.
Speaking to TNIE, Prakasam Food Safety Officer P Narasimhudu pointed out that of the many customers who purchased the ice cream from the seller, only the six-year-old had fallen sick after consuming the sweet treat.
However, as a precautionary measure, all ice creams sold by both sellers were discarded, he added. Further, Narasimhudu mentioned that a case has been registered against the retailers and two companies – Amma foods (Guntur Branch)and Harika Frozen Foods (Narasaraopet) – under Section 27/3A Food Safety and Standards Act.
He urged the public not to consume any products which do not mention proper manufacturing and expiry dates on the label.
