IKEA India stops selling vegetarian biryani, samosa after 'bug' incident

Swedish home furnishings major IKEA has decided to stop selling vegetarian biryani and samosas in its canteen after an insect was found in biryani served to a customer. The company is also conducting an internal review on the August 31 incident.

"IKEA takes food safety and quality very seriously and customer health is always a priority. Following an incident on August 31, 2018, when a customer encountered a foreign object in the dish he ordered, IKEA India has voluntarily stopped sales of two of its most appreciated products -- vegetarian biryani and samosa sourced locally in India. IKEA follows strong internal processes to secure quality and takes full responsibility for its supply chain. IKEA India has initiated an internal review in order to take any corrective actions as needed," a statement from IKEA said.

The customer, Abeed Mohammad, had taken to Twitter to share his experience, saying: "Today I found a caterpillar in my veg biryani." He had also tagged the official handles of the city police, KT Rama Rao, Telangana Minister for Industries and Commerce and the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, as well as media organisations.

He also approached the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), which imposed Rs 11,500 fine on IKEA. The episode has not only proved to be a major embarrassment for the Swedish furniture giant but has also brought it under the scanner of the municipal authorities, who inspected the restaurant and collected food samples for bacteriological analysis.

(Edited by Manoj Sharma)