Finger, Mouse And Now Cobra In Your Order: Are Consumers Being Taken For Granted?

New Delhi: Just when a customer was horrified to allegedly find a dead mouse in a Hershey's chocolate syrup on Wednesday afternoon that she'd ordered online via Zepto, another was in for a rude shock after discovering a human finger in an ice cream cone!

In her Instagram post, Prami Sridhar wrote about the 'shocking discovery' of a mouse in her order. She alleged, "Shocking 😮 discovery in my zepto Oder!!

This is kind notice to everyone to open your 👀 eyes…We oderd Hershey s’chocolate syrup from zepto ,to eat with brownie cakes,we started with pouring with cakes .caughted small hair continuously.decided to open .the opening was sealed and intact .we  opened and pored in disposable glass a thick and hard consistency of death rat dropped down.by washing in running water for reconformation  .its a death rat😖…

We tried to register complain .but there is no response,3 members where tasted that syrup 2 girls have asymptomatic.one girl have fainted yesterday and got to hospital nearby.and again she was refred to another hospital for general medicine.with grace she was  aldright now.and the investigation quite normal…..so guys please aware of what your eating and odering . Please do check while giving to kids….."

She added, “This is extremely concerning and unacceptable. We worried about the health risks and the lack of quality control.” please address this issue immediately. I demand a full investigation and assurance that this will not happen again.” #foodsafety #foodphotography #food #awerness #awake #support please do share you friends ad children..Do support ad create awerness.. @hersheysindia @hersheys"

Likewise, a woman in Noida allegedly found a centipede inside an Amul vanilla ice cream tub she had ordered online. As if this wasn't enough, allegedly a couple in Bengaluru got the shock of their lives after a live cobra tried to struggle his way out through a parcel, ordered from Amazon, as they tried to open it. The video posted by the couple showed a cobra stuck to packaging tape.

ANI posted a screengrab of the video on X and wrote, " A couple from Bengaluru found a spectacled cobra in their Amazon package containing an Xbox controller. The snake was stuck to the packaging tape."

All the discoveries unfolded have sparked massive concerns about food safety in the country. However, a major question arises — are the consumers being taken for granted? Are food companies sufficiently investing in quality control measures to ensure the safety of their products? Can customers hold companies accountable for lapses in safety and hygiene? Moreover, are there strict regulatory bodies that don't compromise on the standards of the products and levy a hefty fine apart from suspending the operations of the company?

Incidents like these erode the trust of the consumers, which impacts the credibility of the companies. Food safety should not be a mere regulatory requirement but a moral obligation for companies.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in its letter to state food safety commissioners and regional directors, raised concerns about the same. According to a report in ANI, the letter to the commissioners of food safety of all states and Union Territories and all regional directors of FSSAI stated, "State FDAs regularly undertake enforcement sampling of food products across the country to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food to consumers. It is essential to ensure that food if found unsafe as per provisions of the FSS Act, 2006, has to be prohibited for sale/ recalled from the food supply chain to protect consumers."

The letter further read, "If the enforcement samples are found unsafe in the primary lab report, you are requested to direct the Designated Officers (DOs) / Central Licencing Authorities (CLAS) under your respective jurisdiction to take the following action immediately."