Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 6 (HBTV): Nine people reportedly fell ill after consuming grilled chicken at a restaurant at Chinnakadai Street, Sholavandan in Madurai. The incident occurred on the night of February 4.

Following complaints, officials from the Food Safety Department and the police launched a detailed investigation and initially penalized the restaurant for hygiene violations.

According to the Deputy Director of Health Services, out of the nine affected individuals, four were admitted to the Sholavandan Government Hospital, while the remaining five, who had mild diarrhoea, were taken to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai.

Two of them were discharged after receiving treatment at Sholavandan Hospital, while the others continue to receive medical care.

Recently, G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), stressed the importance of increasing inspections of high-risk food establishments and periodically reviewing food testing laboratories in Tamil Nadu during a meeting with Lalvena, IAS, Principal Secretary and Food Safety Commissioner, Tamil Nadu.

Rao also discussed the ongoing development of Healthy and Hygienic Food Streets at various locations and urged that the work be expedited to allow public access as soon as possible.

The FSSAI CEO visited the Southern Regional Office of FSSAI in Chennai and discussed the functioning of various divisions in the regional office and the National Food Laboratory, Chennai, with senior officials.

Rao further discussed issues related to Food Import Clearance, emphasizing the importance of the clearance process in ensuring food safety for consumers.

Highlighting the recent launch of the Food Import Rejection Alert (FIRA) portal by FSSAI, Rao stressed the need for regularly sharing the final status of imported food consignments rejected by FSSAI. FIRA is a digital platform designed to provide timely updates and information about food import rejections by regulatory authorities. It serves as a resource for exporters, importers, and other stakeholders in the food industry, helping them understand the reasons for rejection and stay informed about regulatory compliance requirements.

(ANI)