Worm in Ice cream: Amul issues official response

It has become a norm these days to hear about the unhygienic food conditions everywhere. In the month of June itself, there have been at least 5-6 cases that came come into light and the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken action against all such people. Earlier this month, there was a case where a cockroach was found in a plain Dosa at Madras Coffee House in Delhi, and a live worm was found crawling in a kebab in Delhi.While just 3-4 days ago, a human finger was found in an ice cream cone in Mumbai and now there is a case of Amul ice cream, where the complainant has said there was a centipede in the Amul ice cream box. However, the brand has now issued a formal statement on this incident and this is what they have to say.

According to Amul, they requested the box from the complainant, Deepa Devi, for investigation, but she refused to provide it. They stated that an investigation is not possible without the box. Amul assured that if they receive the box, they will conduct a thorough investigation.

What exactly happened?
Noida-based resident Deepa Devi, the victim in this case ordered the vanilla flavour of Amul ice cream tub through an online delivery app on the weekend. Upon opening the box, she discovered a dead (frozen) centipede inside. Following this, she quickly took a photograph of the ice cream and put it up on her X (formerly Twitter) handle and wrote, “Finding an insect inside my @Amul India ice cream was truly alarming. Quality control and food safety should never be compromised. @FSSAI Publication have to take some legal action on such kind of incidents they are increasing in numbers day by day.” Following the same, she promptly lodged a complaint about the incident.

Deepa Devi mentioned that Amul representatives had already taken a sample of the ice cream from her. On Monday, more representatives arrived, but they neither showed identification nor provided their names. Moreover, they spoke to her inappropriately, leading her to refuse to hand over the box. She questioned Amul's professionalism, wondering if their branch manager typically visits homes unannounced and without proper identification. After she insisted on taking photographs, the representatives left. Later on Monday evening, Amul clarified on their X handle that they had not received the ice cream box. Deepa Devi reiterated that she would only hand over the box to a government department for investigation, not directly to Amul.

Internal investigation and public health
Deepa Devi acknowledged that it is commendable for Amul to conduct internal investigations to address deficiencies. However, she emphasised that the evidence should be handled by an impartial authority. She stressed that this issue concerns the health of millions of Amul customers, calling for a thorough investigation by the Food Safety Department.

Amul's official statement
Amul reiterated their position recently through their official X handle. They explained that they requested the box from the complainant for investigation, but the woman refused. They stated that without the box, they could not proceed with the investigation. Amul assured customers that if they receive the box, they will investigate thoroughly and share the report.

Food safety department’s role
Deepa Devi criticised the Food Safety Department for misleading the public. She pointed out that despite media statements about sending samples for investigation, the department had not taken a sample from her. They only took photographs of the ice cream. When questioned, officials said they had taken a sample of the same flavour from the store, which Deepa Devi found concerning given the public health implications.

(Thumb Image courtesy: X)