Pune: A Pune-based business owner has alleged that she found worms inside dry-fruit sweets purchased from Hariba Sweets for Raksha Bandhan return favours, raising concerns over food safety and storage practices.
Anita Manoj Lodha, a resident of Gangadham in the Market Yard area, told The Free Press Journal that she placed the order for the sweets on August 6 and received the box on August 11. According to Lodha, the box remained unopened until September 5, when she opened it after storing it in its original container on the dining table.
Lodha said, “We ordered the sweets for Raksha Bandhan return favours. The box was received on August 11 and was stored in its own container on the dining table. When we opened it on September 5, we found worms inside the sweets as well as at the bottom of the box.”
She said nearly half of the box had already been consumed before the infestation was noticed. The sweets, which are made using dry fruits such as almonds and cashews, were also consumed by toddlers in the household.
“Almost half of the box had been consumed before we noticed the worms. Toddlers at home had also eaten the sweets. After consuming them, there was a complaint of stomach pain,” Lodha said.
Lodha said the family has photographs and videos documenting the worms and also retained the purchase bill. However, the remaining sweets containing worms were subsequently discarded.
“We have the bill, photographs and videos as evidence. We had to throw away the sweets after finding the worms,” Lodha said.
Following the incident, Lodha said she contacted Hariba Sweets and informed the establishment about the issue. She alleged that the response was limited to an offer to exchange the box or refund the value of one box.
“We raised a complaint with Hariba Sweets. They said they would either exchange the box or refund the value of one box,” Lodha said.
Lodha said her primary concern now is to make other consumers aware of the incident and urged the company to examine its food safety practices.
“The company should look into food safety properly before selling such products. My intention is to make people aware of the situation so that consumers are careful about what they are purchasing and consuming,” she said.
