The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a surprise inspection at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) refectory on Tuesday night following persistent complaints from students about worms and other contaminants in the food served at campus messes.
Student Complaints and Demands
Students have been voicing concerns for an extended period, alleging that the SPPU administration has been ignoring their grievances. They demanded action against the contractor and the dissolution of the existing food quality control committee, advocating for the formation of a new one. The students had threatened to launch a mass email campaign to the FDA starting Wednesday if their requests were not addressed. The campus houses approximately eight messes and one refectory.
FDA Inspection and Findings
Food safety officer Ajinkya Umap visited the campus on Tuesday and carried out the inspection. “I will submit the report to senior officer assistant commissioner Imran Hashmi. We have instructed the contractor to attend a hearing at 11am on Wednesday in the FDA office. Senior officials will hear his explanation, consider recommendations from my report, and determine the next steps. Until then, all messes and the refectory are prohibited from serving food,” Umap stated. He added that based on the hearing and report, the contractor could face penalties ranging from an improvement notice to a fine or even suspension of his license.
Student Reactions
Abhishek Shelkar, President of the University Student Struggle Action Committee, criticized the university administration for ignoring multiple complaints about unhygienic food. “Over the past month, we discovered worms and other insects in the food at least five to six times across different messes and the refectory. A day ago, a fight broke out between staff at one mess while they were under the influence of alcohol. However, SPPU took no action. We had planned to start an online campaign with 500 email complaints to the FDA from Wednesday, but officials visited and inspected the facilities on Tuesday,” he said.
Student Anmol Kumbhar noted that students had to contact the security department to break up the fight between mess staff recently. “If they cook while intoxicated, one can only imagine the quality of food being prepared,” he remarked.
Another student, Rishi Jawale, emphasized the basic right to hygienic food. “Students should at least receive clean, if not tasty, food. It is a fundamental right. Will the administration only act after students start falling ill?” he questioned.
