Family Discovers Human Thumb in Laddu

On June 1, Ramchandra Potkule from Gohegaon village purchased 250 grams of laddu and some bhel from Nityanand Hotel in Dimbhegaon, located in Pune’s Ambegaon tehsil. After sharing the sweets with his family, they were horrified to discover a human thumb embedded in one of the laddus. Several family members later experienced nausea and dysentery, prompting them to report the incident to the authorities.

Shop Continued to Sell Contaminated Laddus

Despite the severity of the incident, the hotel reportedly continued to sell the batch of laddus made during the time of the accident. They did not recall or discard the contaminated sweets. Kailash Gengje, the sarpanch of Gohe Budruk village, confirmed that the hotel did not attempt to remove the affected batch from circulation, leading to public outrage.

FDA Launches Investigation

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an investigation into the case on June 21. Officials identified the severed human thumb as belonging to the hotel owner’s son, who had suffered a severe hand injury while operating a laddu mixing machine. The injury occurred when an unexpected electric outage was followed by a sudden machine restart. Rescue personnel had to dismantle the equipment to free the boy’s hand before rushing him to the hospital. Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner of the FDA (Pune Region), stated that the agency questioned the hotel owner and staff to reconstruct the timeline of events. He assured that strict action would be taken once the investigation concludes.

Similar Case in Mumbai Raises Wider Alarm

Just weeks earlier, a customer in Mumbai discovered a human finger in an ice cream ordered online. In response, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) inspected the Fortune Dairy Industries plant in Pune’s Indapur taluka and ordered an immediate shutdown of the unit.

Authorities Urge Stronger Food Safety Oversight

These back-to-back incidents have shocked the public and highlighted serious lapses in food safety standards. Authorities and consumers alike are now calling for stricter oversight, particularly for food businesses using mechanised equipment.

Source: Food Tech News