Egg-Based Mayonnaise Banned In Kerala
The Kerala government on Thursday banned mayonnaise made out of eggs in all hotels and food joints amid a series of cases of food poisoning across the state.
In response to a slew of incidents of food poisoning occurring throughout the state, the Kerala government on Thursday banned egg mayonnaise from being served in any hotels or eating establishments. According to state health minister Veena George, egg mayonnaise has been outlawed in all hotels and restaurants in the state.
George announced a number of measures to ensure quality and hygiene, saying all food packets must carry information such as the production and expiration dates. George spoke with representatives of hotel, bakery, and caterer associations.
These incidents came into light in the past two weeks when there have been at least 20 suspected incidents of food poisoning recorded throughout the state, some of which are thought to be related to mayonnaise use.
According to food experts, stale mayonnaise could be a breeding ground for bacteria. They claimed that hazardous germs start to produce if the raw egg whites used in the food item's production get stale. In addition, salmonella bacterium is frequently discovered in raw eggs. However, Mayonnaise is a condiment that is commonly used in sandwiches, burgers, composed salads, and French fries. It is made up of oil, egg yolks, and an acidic liquid (lemon juice or vinegar).
A nurse from the Kottayam Medical College Hospital perished two weeks ago after allegedly eating the mayonnaise-topped Arabic delicacy known as al faham. Furthermore, last week, three schoolchildren in Pathanamthitta were hospitalised after devouring shawarma, which is frequently served with mayonnaise.
All hotel personnel will receive health cards from the appropriate authorities, and food safety regulators will regularly check all eating establishments. According to her, a task team has been established to keep an eye on the eateries and investigate customer complaints. She also mentioned that an app to rate the cleanliness of hotels would be released soon.
She added that all food establishments would need licences and permissions, and dhabas (temporary outlets) will only be able to operate with the consent of local organisations.