Snake pieces in food? Picture taken by Bihar college students shows a tail

Students at the government engineering college in Banka, Bihar, have complained of finding what looks like snake pieces in the dinner served at the college mess, according to a report by The Times of India.

At least 11 students became ill after consuming the contaminated food, the report added. They were taken to a hospital after exhibiting symptoms of nausea and vomiting. All affected students are now recovering, the paper quoted the doctor say.

A photo taken by students in the mess area showed what looked like the tail of a snake in the food. This image has further fueled the outrage among the college community and parents.

Administrative Response

In response to the incident, the college administration has taken swift action, the report said. They have decided to replace the current food vendor and fined the vendor responsible.

Additionally, the administration has implemented a new rule requiring the principal and teachers to eat meals with the students daily to ensure food safety and quality.

Notably, this incident comes when a string of similar food safety incidents have gained the limelight after a Mumbai doctor found a human finger in his ice cream cone. It raises the issue of food safety and the seriousness of health regulations around food storage and preparation.

A String of Food Safety Incidents

On 13 June, it was reported that a case had been registered against Yummo Ice Cream Company after a 26-year-old doctor from Mumbai's Malad West suburb found a half-an-inch piece of human finger in their butterscotch ice cream cone.

The incident occurred on 12 June. He first contacted the company through its Instagram page but later registered a case at the Malad police station after they failed to provide an appropriate response. Police told PTI the finger was sent to forensics.

Later, on 16 June, a Noida resident found a centipede frozen in her Amul ice cream pack. She recorded and shared a video of the same on social media, which gained virality.

Notably, Amul is a well-established and trusted brand. The woman lodged a complaint with the e-commerce platform Blinkit (owned by Zomato) and got a refund of ₹195 for the ice cream.

Earlier in March too, a woman found eight cockroaches in dosa served at Delhi’s Madras Coffee House. The outlet at Connaught Place reportedly did not allow her to fully record the meal and she lodged a complaint besides taking up the matter on social media.