CHENNAI: The Southern Railway (SR) apologised, through a press release, where a passenger travelling in Train 20666 Tirunelveli to Chennai on November 16 reported finding an insect in the sambar served with his breakfast. The complaint was raised at 8 am, shortly after the train departed from Madurai.

The food, supplied by the Tirunelveli base kitchen managed by Brindavan Food Products, was inspected immediately by the onboard manager, chief catering inspector and other officials. The insect was found stuck to the lid of the casserole container, appearing uncooked, suggesting possible post-preparation contamination.

The press release said that officials apologised to the passenger, assured strict action against the licensee, and arranged an alternative meal from Dindigul station, which the passenger declined.

The contaminated food package was handed over to the health inspector at Dindigul for quality checks. Preliminary inspections of other food packages revealed no abnormalities. An inspection of the mini pantry area, where food packages were distributed, confirmed it was hygienic, with no signs of insect presence.

Further, the food safety officer and other officials from Tirunelveli conducted a joint inspection of the Tirunelveli base kitchen. Food samples were collected and sent for testing to ascertain the cause of the contamination.

A penalty of Rs 50,000 has been imposed on the contractor, and further action is being pursued. “The Southern Railway is conducting a detailed investigation into the incident, considering all possibilities regarding the source of the contamination,” added the statement.