Kerala youth on ventilator support following suspected food poisoning after consuming shawarma

Kerala restaurant owner booked after youth put on ventilator due to suspected food poisoning. Rahul D. Nair, 22, consumed shawarma from the restaurant in Kochi on October 18. He developed health issues and was admitted to a private hospital in Kakkanad. Health wing shut down restaurant after complaint. Food safety officials collected samples and sent to lab. Police booked owner under IPC Sections 284 & 308.

The Thrikkakara police in Kerala on October 23 registered a case against a restaurant owner after a youth was put on life-supporting mechanism following suspected food poisoning after consuming shawarma from the restaurant at Mavelipuram in Kakkanad last week.

Rahul D. Nair, 22, of Pala reportedly ate shawarma after ordering it from the restaurant through a food aggregator on October 18, 2023. According to his relatives, Rahul developed “health issues” after consuming the dish and had been to several hospitals before being admitted at a private hospital in Kakkanad.

“He was brought in a collapsed state on Sunday (October 22) and was immediately put on ventilator support, which continues till now. While blood tests point towards food poisoning, we have sent samples to the lab at Amrita Hospital (in Kochi) for further confirmation,” said a hospital spokesperson.

The health wing of the Thrikkakara municipality shut down the restaurant after receiving a complaint on October 23. The future course of action will depend on reports by the food safety department. The restaurant had not, however, faced any complaints in the past over food quality, said a junior health inspector with the municipality.

Food safety officials collected samples and sent these to the lab despite the limitations in sample collection owing to the delay in lodging the complaint.

“The victim’s family lodged a complaint only on Monday (October 23) though he consumed the shawarma last Wednesday (October 18). The District Medical Officer will have to certify the incident as a case of food poisoning before we can proceed further. Also, we have not been able to collect the statement of the victim yet due to his condition. We also have no data on the number of orders received for shawarma on the said day or whether any others were also taken ill similarly,” said a food safety official.

The police have booked the restaurant owner under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 284 (dealing with any poisonous substance so as to endanger human life) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).