A news report by Aaj Tak website states that a 20-year-old man died after eating packaged Manchurian and Kadhai Paneer, while his brother and friends fell seriously ill in Bhabua, Bihar. Vishal, the deceased man had dinner with his brother and friends at around 10:30 p.m, the report states. Later that night, he started vomiting. When his condition worsened, he was taken to Bhabua Sadar Hospital at 4:30 a.m. Doctors there declared Vishal dead. The report also states that Vishal's sacred thread ceremony was scheduled for April 20th, and the family was filled with joy. This incident has plunged the entire family into mourning. While the exact cause of death and further action will be determined only after the post-mortem report and lab tests. The incident has once again raised questions about the hygiene of eating outside.




Food safety rules to follow in summer

According to experts, making dishes like Manchurian and Kadhai Paneer at home is always satisfying, but they also require extra care during home cooking. Here are five important safety measures to keep in mind during the summer.




Wash and prep ingredients properly: When it comes to dishes like manchurian, it is very important to wash and clean vegetables like cabbage and manchurian, which are highly prone to worms. If not treated correctly, they may cause severe health issues, which can be fatal too. Also, for dishes like kadhai paneer, paneer needs to be thoroughly checked for purity before cooking. The market is flooded with adulterated paneer, which can cause severe food-borne illnesses.




Maintain clean cooking surfaces: While cooking at home, it is important to pay attention to hygiene and cleanliness. Make sure that the kitchen platform, chopping board, knives and all other utensils are disinfected. A minor mistake can lead to major food-borne illness.




Be careful while frying: While deep-frying the manchurian balls or shallow-frying paneer, make sure the oil is not overheated, and also ensure the food is evenly fried and cooked. Undercooked foods are often the breeding ground of bacteria, which is not a good sign.




Always check sauce and spices before using: Let us accept it: food items like soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and corn flour are not used daily. So, when you use such items for dishes like manchurian, make sure to read the label, check their expiry date and then use them. Also, sometimes these items go stale after lying on the shelf for a longer period. Always make sure to check before consumption. For dishes like kadhai paneer, check the date of cream and malai before adding them to enhance the taste and texture of the dish.




Store and reheat properly: It often happens that when we cook at home, there is also some surplus food. So, be extra careful while storing the leftovers. Make sure the container is clean and odor-free. Also, while reheating foods like manchurian and kadhai paneer, which are heavy on spices, check the taste and if there is any foul taste or smell, immediately discard it.