Key Update

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has penalised a catering service provider after it served expired bread to 74 passengers on the 12002 New Delhi–Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express, sparking concerns over food safety on premium train services.

Passengers Spot Expired Bread During Breakfast

The incident occurred during breakfast service in the train’s C-4 coach. Passengers, including children, received packaged bread bearing a ‘use by’ date of July 10, 2026. One passenger noticed the expired date on the bread packet and alerted fellow travellers. Others immediately checked their packets and discovered they had also received expired bread. Many had already consumed the bread before identifying the issue, raising concerns about possible foodborne illness. Passengers also reported seeing additional catering packets containing bread with the same expiry date outside the coach.

IRCTC Takes Action Against Caterer

After passengers reported the incident, IRCTC launched an inquiry and imposed a financial penalty on the catering contractor responsible for supplying the expired bread.

The corporation removed the catering staff involved from duty and instructed the service provider to verify the expiry date of every packaged food item before serving it to passengers. IRCTC said the measure aims to prevent similar incidents and strengthen quality control in onboard catering services.

Incident Highlights Need for Stronger Food Safety Checks

Although authorities had not reported any cases of illness at the time of writing, the incident has renewed concerns about food safety practices in railway catering. The lapse has highlighted the need for stricter inspections, better inventory management and mandatory verification of expiry dates before food reaches passengers.

The incident also serves as a reminder for consumers to check the expiry date of packaged foods before consumption, even when they are served through established catering services.

Source: NDTV