The city-based State Public Health (SPH) laboratory has found poisonous substances in the varai (type of cereal) flour samples that were seized in the recent food poisoning case. This was disclosed by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials in the city on Thursday.
It may recalled that 166 people were admitted to city hospitals for food poisoning after consuming bhakri and rice made of varai flour a fortnight ago.
On September 26, officials of the FDA banned the supply of varai flour and seized stocks valued at Rs45 lakh from wholesalers and retailers in the city. Around 15 samples of varai were sent to the SPH laboratory for testing, the report of which arrived on Wednesday.
Besides Pune, people had fallen ill in large numbers in Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli districts.
“The report shows the presence of kodra in the varai flour. Kodra is a wild grass which has poisonous seeds. However, the poison becomes less after six months of harvesting and is used by some tribals as food,” said Chandrakant Salunkhe, assistant commissioner, FDA.
“Kodra is cheaper than varai and after processing, its seeds look just like varai or bhagar and that is why it can be passed off for varai,” said Salunkhe.
Salunkhe added that though the sale of kodra is not prohibited, it is dangerous to mix it with varai flour as it is poisonous in the early stages. Even the tribal population takes cares and has a technique to prevent poisoning from kodra seeds.
“Until the report came, we could not recommend the prosecution of traders and suppliers as there was no proof. Now our food safety officer will compile a report and we will send it to the commissioner, asking for permission to file cases against those who manufactured and supplied the varai flour,” said Salunkhe.
He added that in Pune, a retailer who owns Manik Supermarket in Kothrud, supplied flour to most of the people who fell sick. The flour was supplied to him by a supplier in Market Yard area, who had purchased it from Shiv Shakti Industries in Shahapur. “We would recommend filing complaints against these three people,” said Salunkhe.
Another FDA official said this would be Pune’s first case filed under the Food and Safety Standards Act, 2006, which came into effect on August 5 this year.
“If found guilty, the traders and manufacturer face minimum six months’ imprisonment and fines of up to Rs10 lakh for supplying unsafe category food items,” said the official.
