Insect Found in Almond Packet at D-Mart; Surat Civic Body Fines Outlet

Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has fined a D-Mart outlet in the Limbayat-Godadara area Rs 5,000 and issued a notice after a customer complained of insects being found in a packet of almonds.

The complaint was received on Monday, following which officials from the SMC’s Food Safety and Health Department visited the outlet and conducted an inspection. The team also checked other food packets at the store as part of the investigation.

The action comes amid intensified food safety inspections across Surat over the past two weeks. SMC teams have been inspecting hotels, restaurants, roadside eateries, malls and other establishments selling food and beverages, with checks focusing on cleanliness, food quality, expiry dates and storage conditions.

Complaints regarding contamination in food items have continued to surface despite the inspections. Recently, a worm was reportedly found in a tomato fritter in the Dumas area, while the health department had also taken action after a worm was found in a roti served at a hotel in Varachha.

The latest action against D-Mart also comes shortly after an earlier inspection at the outlet on August 22, when municipal officials reportedly found rotten coconut and poor-quality flour. The store was fined Rs 75,000 in that case.

The recurring complaints have once again raised concerns over the quality and storage of food products at the outlet. DeshGujarat