Hotel in Arani sealed after locals complain of a rat’s head in food parcel

It was a vegetarian restaurant near the old bus terminus in the town

A vegetarian restaurant near the old bus terminus in Arani near here was sealed by the district food safety officers after complaints that a rat head was found in a food parcel bought from the hotel a few days ago.

Action by food safety officials came after the Collector, B. Murugesh, cancelled the license temporarily to the hotel and directed the District Food Safety Department to seal the hotel. Immediately, a team of food safety officers led by A.R. Ramakrishnan, District Food Safety Officer (DFSO), Tiruvannamalai, issued notice of temporary cancellation of license to hotel management and sealed the facility.

“We have taken food samples from the hotel which are being tested. However, considering the safety of public, we have sealed the hotel from operation,” Mr. Ramakrishnan told The Hindu.

Officials of the Food Safety Department said that this is the fourth such incident in Arani town since last year (2021). Such incidents happen mainly due to shortage of adequate food safety officers in the district. As against the sanctioned strength of six officers, only three officers are available to monitor more than 2,500 hotels and eateries in the district. The temple town of Tiruvannamalai alone has more than 1,500 hotels and eateries as the town is a pilgrimage centre.

It was on Monday when R. Murali (45), a resident of Gandhi Nagar, had ordered 35 parcels of vegetarian meals for a condolence event. When one of the guests opened the parcel, they allegedly found a rat’s head in beetroot fry as food was being served. The hotel management was informed over the phone, but they refused to visit the venue of the event and inspect.

Immediately, the family members rushed to the restaurant with the food and argued with the hotel management. Based on an alert, Arani Town police personnel reached the spot. Police informed the food safety officers, who inspected the hotel and took food samples for testing. A case was filed by Arani Town police.

Last September (2021), a 10-year-old girl, A. Loshini, died and 29 others were hospitalized after consuming chicken biryani from a hotel in Arani due to food poisoning.