Human finger in ice cream case: FSSAI inspects Fortune Dairy industries, orders shut down | – DairyScoop

A 26-year-old Dr Orlem Brendan Serrao from Malad recently ordered 3 ice cream cones of Yummo Ice Cream through an e-commerce app. After lunch, as Ferrao began eating a butterscotch ice cream cone and noticed a texture similar to chewing gum. Upon removing a part of the ice cream, he discovered a piece of a human thumb with a nail. His first reaction after noticing this human flesh was that he felt like vomiting.After going through this ordeal, he took to social media and disclosed that he felt it was like chocolate or a large piece of nut. However, it turned out to be human flesh. He also shared that since he is an MBBS and he knows what human flesh is.

Ferrao initially complained on the Instagram page of the ice cream company but, after receiving an inadequate response, he filed a complaint with the Malad police and showed them the piece of flesh that he discovered in his ice cream. Afterwards, the police sent the suspected piece of a human finger to a forensic lab for confirmation and showed them pictures and videos of the ice cream before it melted. Authorities have registered a case against officials of Yummo Ice Cream Company under sections 272 (adulteration of food or drink), 273 (sale of harmful food and drink), and 336 (act endangering the life of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The police are utilising the Aadhar Card Center to identify the individual to whom the thumb belongs through fingerprint analysis.

As per news reports, it has been discovered that the ice cream cone with the human thumb was transferred to the Malad warehouse from the company’s warehouse in Bhiwandi. Several police teams have been dispatched to different warehouses of the company for further investigation. There were originally 12 butterscotch cones in stock, of which 11 have been sold. The thumb was found in one of these 11 cones. The warehouse also contained ice creams in other flavours.

The news reports also state that the contaminated ice cream was manufactured in Indapur, Pune. A police officer stated that the company’s manufacturing unit supplied the ice cream cone a month ago. Authorities are tracing the transport and distribution chain to determine how the ice cream reached Malad. Statements from individuals involved in the transport and distribution chain are being recorded.

After this fiasco, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) inspected Fortune Dairy Industries‘ premises in Indapur taluka of Pune and shut down their operations on 15th June. An officer from the Indapur police station reiterated that there is no report of any person getting injured or losing a finger in their jurisdiction. The investigation continues as authorities try to determine how the piece of meat ended up in the ice cream cone and whether it was indeed a human finger.

The incident has raised significant concerns about food safety and hygiene practices within the manufacturing unit, prompting a thorough investigation to ensure such incidents do not recur. The shutdown of Fortune Dairy Industries serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining stringent food safety standards to protect consumers.

(Thumb Image courtesy: Instagram)