(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) In a disturbing incident that has raised serious questions about food safety and hygiene standards in India, a family in Mumbai recently found a dead mouse in a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup they had ordered from the online delivery platform Zepto.
The incident came to light when Prami Sridhar, a member of the family, shared a video on Instagram, detailing their harrowing experience.
According to Sridhar, three members of her family had already consumed the contaminated syrup, and one had to receive medical treatment as a result.
The video shows the family encountering the shocking discovery after they noticed small strands of hair in the syrup and decided to inspect it further. Upon emptying the bottle into a disposable cup, a dead mouse fell out, much to their horror.
"Guys please aware of what your eating and eating. Please do check while giving to kids.....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," Sridhar wrote in her post.
Hershey's, the chocolate brand, responded to the video, apologizing for the incident and requesting the family to provide the UPC and manufacturing code from the bottle so that their team could assist them.
''Hi there, we are very sorry to see this. Please send us the UPC and manufacturing code from the bottle to ... with the reference number 11082163 so one of our team members can assist you!'' the company wrote.
The discovery has left social media users deeply disturbed, with many demanding a thorough investigation into the matter and calling for stricter quality control measures in the food industry.
"The item reached to you in a seal-packed condition. The problem is with the manufacturing brand not with the delivery service app. Rather than criticizing Zepto, file a complaint in the consumer court against Hershey's," one user wrote.
Another user pointed out the potentially widespread implications, stating, "This is only one bottle found. Think how many people's houses might have the remaining bottles which contain the bacteria of a dead rat."
''Since the past few days I have just horrified seeing so many unhygienic practices that I have stopped using so many packaged products and started eating only healthy and non-packaged products I hope in future I can completely stop it.," a third user remarked.
A fourth user exclaimed, ''How is it possible for a mouse to get inside the sealed products!"
The incident comes just days after a similar case in Mumbai, where a doctor found a human finger in an ice cream cone, further highlighting the pressing need for improved food safety standards and better quality control measures across India's food supply chain.
As the authorities investigate this latest case, the Hershey's incident has once again shone a spotlight on the urgent need for the food industry to prioritize consumer safety and ensure the highest levels of hygiene and quality control in their manufacturing processes.
MENAFN19062024007385015968ID1108348424
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.