CHENNAI: The State Food Safety Department suspended a food safety officer for demanding bribe from a food joint owner.

The food safety officer had taken four 500 gram packets of Om Podi for a sample check from KMS Foods owned by S Ashraf in Royapettah. It was found that a chemical, Tartazine, which is a food colouring agent, that should be ideally 100 per cent present in the snack, was found to be 144 per cent in the powder.

After the results came out, the officer demanded a bribe at Rs 40,000 through WhatsApp assuring not to not investigate the case or take action.

After a complaint was filed against, Bhaskaran was investigated and it was found that Bhaskaran had demanded the money. The department issued an immediate suspension order against the officer for demanding bribes.

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