Worms found in baby food

The City Corporation has decided to carry out random inspection of
baby food stocks in retail outlets following reports of a child
falling ill after being fed a popular brand of baby food purchased
from a shop at Pappanamcode. Officials from the Health section of the
Corporation have been directed to collect samples of the content of
the packet and submit it for laboratory analysis. Chairman of the
Health standing committee G.R. Anil said the parents of the child, who
was hospitalised, had later found the baby food infested with mites
and worms. "The sealed packet had a shelf life up to 2010 but we are
not sure whether the worms had found their way into the contents due
to improper storage after it was opened. Health officials have been
asked to collect random samples from across the city," he said. Citing
previous incidents, Mr. Anil said children's foods were found to be
the most prone to adulteration and contamination.He, however, said
that keeping a tab on food products would require a coordinated effort
involving the Department of Health. "The absence of laboratory
facilities here to test food samples is a major impediment to such
efforts," he said.
The Hindu, July 5