Food poisoning: Restaurant shut after six fall ill

KOCHI: Four students of the Cochin University of Science and Technology fell ill due to food poisoning and have been admitted to the Ernakulam government medical college. The restaurant at Pipeline Road near the CUSAT campus from where they had food has been closed down by Kalamassery municipality health authorities. Two other persons have also suffered food poisoning after eating  food from the eatery. Students reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea after having shawarma and Al Faham chicken.

“Since the restaurant has been functioning without the licence of the municipality, immediate closure notice was served,” said Jessy Peter, municipal chairperson. There have been widespread complaints against the poor quality and hygiene standards of restaurants and wayside eateries functioning within the Kalamassery municipal area. It was earlier identified that the source of viral infection for the recent outbreak of hepatitis in Kalamassery were wayside eateries. Following the infectious disease outbreak, the district administration-led special squad had closed down several unlicensed wayside eateries. But, with the inspections over, street food vendors are back to business in the area.