In a shocking discovery, the Department of Food Safety (DFS) of Delhi has found that many posh restaurants and upscale brands in the Capital are serving "unsafe" and "unhygienic" food to Delhiites. According to the department officials, food samples collected from restaurants in Connaught Place which included KFC, Ardor and restaurants belonging to the ITC Maurya in Pancharipuri, were found to be unsafe and not fit for consumption. As per the report prepared by the DFS, a sample of chocolate truffle cake was taken from a restaurant in the ITC Maurya, a piece of chicken stripe from KFC and a sample of aloo sabzi from Ardor restaurant in the month of March. Apart from these restaurants, samples were also lifted from other parts of Delhi and sent for testing. "These samples have been found unsafe. A notice has been sent to all the eateries for further action," said Pawan Kamra, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Food Safety, Delhi government. Officials said that the chocolate truffle cake was contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, the aloo sabzi from Ardor was coloured with unpermitted oil soluble synthetic colouring matter and the KFC chicken stripe had the anti-caking agent — silicon dioxide.
According to health experts, presence of pathogenic bacteria in food can lead to food poisoning and the presence of the other chemicals in the food samples are worrisome When asked to respond, most of the eateries said that they have challenged the report. "We have challenged the report of the Food Analyst and the matter is sub-judice. The food sample has also been tested by an independent National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited laboratory which has found the same to be fit for human consumption," said a spokesperson from ITC Maurya. "We maintain utmost hygiene standards and don't use any synthetics or artificial flavours in our food. We have sent the samples for retesting to higher authorities through the department only.
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