FOOD safety alarm bells are ringing again at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) after nearly 40 students were hospitalised with suspected food poisoning following dinner at Hostel No. 10. Students of the CD Block complained of vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain late night after consuming mess food. They were rushed to Sharda Hospital, where doctors confirmed food poisoning symptoms. All students are now stable. Acting on a complaint, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) raided the hostel mess and found glaring violations. The mess was operating without a food business licence. Staff medical fitness certificates, pest control records and mandatory FoSTaC training documents were not produced. The team also reported unsanitary cooking conditions and unscientific storage of raw materials.

 

Officials seized seven samples - three legal samples (urad dal, groundnut and vermicelli) and four surveillance samples (chana dal, chickpeas, rice and arhar dal). The samples have been sent to the State Food Testing Laboratory. Strict action under the Food Safety and Standards Act will follow. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Manish Sharma confirmed that water samples have also been collected from the campus. The incident has revived questions over recurring lapses at MANIT. Similar cases were reported from Hostel 9 and 11 on July 17, and from Hostel 4 in April 2025, where 15 students fell ill.