Telangana food lab confirms unsafe Cadbury chocolates; Hyderabad activist calls for accountability

HYDERABAD: Telangana State Food Laboratory has confirmed that Cadbury Chocolate (Roasted Almond) purchased at Ratnadeep Retail in Hyderabad was found to be unsafe for consumption due to the presence of white worms and webs inside.

The incident came to light when activist Robin Zaccheus, based in Hyderabad, discovered worms in chocolates bought at Ratnadeep Metro Supermarket in Ameerpet on February 9. Both Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (Roasted Almond) and Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (Fruit and Nut) were affected.

Taking to 'X' (Twitter), Robin Zaccheus said, "Found a worm crawling in Cadbury chocolate purchased at Ratnadeep Metro Ameerpet today. Is there a quality check for these nearby expiry products? Who is responsible for public health hazards?"

Robin demanded that Dairy Milk and Ratnadeep take responsibility for the negligence, emphasising the risk posed to public health. He also urged caution, particularly when giving these chocolates to children, and called for punishment and license cancellations for the culprits.

Mondelez India Spokesperson said, “We follow the internationally accepted HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) programme, which is the most comprehensive food safety system in the world, to ensure that our products are free from any physical, chemical and microbiological issues. Chocolate like any other food product requires specific care and attention in the distribution chain, retail environment and in storage. Every Cadbury carries the label - 'Store in a cool, hygienic and dry place'. We have tested the samples of the same batch, as well as other batches manufactured around the same time and found no issues. We are confident that the product has not been affected during the manufacturing process. The quality of our products and safety of our consumers is our highest priority and we remain committed to ensuring our consumers continue to love our products”.