Aizawl eatery fined Rs 20,000 after 14 fall ill; each to get Rs 1,500

The Aizawl Deputy Commissioner has fined a small food business in the city Rs 20,000 and ordered it to pay Rs 1,500 each to 14 people who fell ill after eating its food, The Times of India reported on Tuesday.

The establishment, Babies Online Kitchen in Rangvamual in western Aizawl, had sold chicken egg rolls and chicken momos. The people who ate them developed stomach pain, fever and diarrhoea.

What the tests found

According to the order, the Department of Microbiology at Zoram Medical College found disease-causing organisms in a sample of the food. Stool samples from all 14 people who fell ill tested positive for the same pathogen, which pointed to the food as the source.

Officials also found that the business was running without a valid licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), as required under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. A show-cause notice was issued to the owner on November 4.

The penalty and compensation

The case was heard at the Deputy Commissioner's office on Monday, with the state's Designated Officer (Food Safety) from the Directorate of Health Services taking part. The order said the violations were established on the basis of the material on record.

• Rs 20,000 penalty under Section 63 of the Act, for running a food business without a licence.
• Rs 1,500 compensation to each of the 14 people, Rs 21,000 in all, under Section 65(1) of the Act, which allows compensation when unsafe food causes injury or illness.

The compensation has to be paid as soon as possible and in any case within two weeks of the order. Both amounts must be deposited with the Designated Officer (Food Safety), who will pass the compensation on to the 14 people and take any further action needed.

Why it matters

The order is a reminder that food safety law covers home kitchens and online sellers as well as restaurants, and that it allows affected customers to be compensated. Any food business, including small and home-based ones, needs at least an FSSAI registration, and larger ones need a licence.

Customers can check whether a food seller is registered through the FSSAI's FoSCoS portal and can report suspected food poisoning to the district food safety officer or the Directorate of Health Services.