The BMC’s Municipal Food Laboratory report of August 2019 had confirmed the presence of extraneous matter in the Good Day biscuits purchased by the woman.
A consumer court in Mumbai has ordered Rs 1.5 lakh compensation to a woman who found a live worm in a pack of Britannia biscuits.
South Mumbai District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, in its order on June 27, directed Britannia Industries Ltd and the chemist shop in Churchgate from where the woman had bought the packet of biscuits in 2019, to jointly pay the compensation and Rs 25,000 in litigation costs for mental agony, harassment and physical discomfort caused to her.
“The sale of a contaminated biscuit is a grave breach of consumer trust and statutory duties under the Food Safety laws and Consumer Protection laws,” the commission said.
The woman, a Mira Road resident, had approached the commission with a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, stating that she had purchased a packet of Good Day biscuits from the chemist shop located at Churchgate station.
After she ate a few biscuits, she found a live worm in one of the biscuits, leading to nausea, vomiting and mental distress, she told the commission. She preserved the biscuit and approached the Municipal Food Laboratory of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which in a report in August 2019, confirmed the presence of extraneous matter.
The woman issued a legal notice to the manufacturer but received no compensation, following which she approached the commission.
Britannia Industries denied liability, stating that the complainant had not produced the wrapper or batch number to establish linkage to their manufacturing unit and maintained that highest quality standards are adhered to by it. The chemist shop, Ashok M Shah, also denied receiving any complaint and said that they only sell sealed products from manufacturers.
The commission said that a live worm was found which is a ‘clear indication of contamination and defect’. The food analyst report from the BMC also confirmed the same and it was not challenged by the company, the commission said.
