Around 50 students of the Government Polytechnic for Women staying in the hostel on Bharathiar Road were hospitalised after some of them swooned while others complained of nausea and vomiting.

Late on Sunday, students complained of uneasiness and nearly 15 of them swooned. At midnight, the students were admitted to a private hospital. However, the number of students complaining of uneasiness grew on Monday morning. The Government Polytechnic campus witnessed commotion, with a number of ambulances rushing students from the hostel to the hospital for treatment.

The Government Model Residential School, Peerumade, was closed on Monday after over 60 students were admitted to various hospitals since Sunday, due to alleged food poisoning.

The condition of none of the students was serious, reports reaching here said. The authorities at the Peerumade taluk hospital said that students started to arrive at the hospital with complaints of vomiting, head ache and fever symptoms by evening on Sunday. When the number of casualties increased by Monday, the hospital authorities referred those having severe symptoms to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital.

Many waiters carry GERMS ON HANDS: Study Finds Food Handlers Carry E. Coli, Various Dangerous Bugs

‘Those handling food in hotels have to disinfect hands as per standard procedure’

The Arabian delicacy shawarma can be the carrier of toxin producing Staphylococcus bacteria if handled carelessly, said M. K. Mukundan, an expert on food safety and director of the Konni-based Council for Food Research and Development. The food item remains banned following the death of a Thiruvananthapuram-based youngster owing to food poisoning allegedly after consuming a shawarma.

Food Safety officials continued raids of hotels in cities and towns across Kerala State on the second day on Wednesday for detection of low quality food items. Altogether 11 hotels were ordered to be closed and 150 hotels were served notices seeking improvement in quality and standards. The raids covered 211 hotels on Tuesday and 60 hotels on Wednesday (till evening).

The raids come in the wake of the death of a youth in Bangalore allegedly after he consumed ‘shawarma’ from a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.

Aim is to make food business operators accountable: FSSAI

The food poisoning episodes in the State capital and the shocking revelations from raids conducted across the State might well prove to be the starting point of a much sterner food administration regime in the State along with the rest of the country. The country is all poised for enforcement of the Food and Safety Standards Act 2006 which prescribes science-based standards for various items of food and seeks to regulate the manufacture, storage, sale, etc. so that these are absolutely safe for human consumption

JAIPUR: Over 150 people belonging to the Behrupia tribe fell ill, at least 10 of them seriously, after having a feast at a social get-together in Jamdoli under Kanota police station area on Monday night. Officials said some of the milk-products items were contaminated leading to the food-poisoning. While most of them were discharged after primary treatment, others still were undergoing treatment till Tuesday evening.

Pranjal Gupta, a class 5 student, prefers eating in her school canteen instead of carrying a tiffin box. Her friends in school too eat pav bhaji, vada pav or chowmein from the canteen.

The Health Ministry Food Control Department yesterday warned fruit traders against using Carbide gas for accelerated ripening of fruits, stating that the Health Ministry will take stern action against those found involved in producing and selling such inedible or contaminated fruits.

Calcium Carbide is widely used by traders in spite of it being a banned practice.

MUMBAI: Mid-day meals for over 1.22 crore school children will soon be tastier and healthier than before. If the state government has its way, khichdi will be replaced with rice, dal and chapattis in the scheme which used to be totally funded by the Union government.

"The change in food menu is being contemplated by the school education department. The modalities are being worked out.