Hyderabad citizen raises concern over spoiled Kimia dates

Hyderabad: A Hyderabad resident has expressed frustration over the delayed response to his complaint regarding the sale of spoiled Kimia dates at National Mart, Nagaram. The complaint, filed in July, was addressed to the Telangana Food Safety Department but, as of now, the complainant has not received any updates or resolution, leading to concerns about accountability and transparency.

The issue was initially highlighted on social media by Srikhande Umesh Kumar (@srikhane_umesh), who posted, “Dear @cfs_telangana, On 24th July, I filed a complaint regarding the quality of Kimia dates purchased from National Mart, Nagaram. I have yet to receive an update on the investigation. It is disappointing to experience such delays, as it undermines trust and accountability.”

In his complaint to the Commissioner of Food Safety at the Directorate of Institute of Preventive Medicine, Narayanguda, Umesh Kumar described purchasing two packets of Kimia dates, only to find several concerning issues. According to his complaint, some dates lacked the typical outer layer, and upon further inspection, small seed-like objects were found within the dates, raising questions about their quality.

Umesh Kumar also flagged an additional concern regarding the QR code on the packaging, which led to a suspicious website. This, he suggested, might indicate that the dates could be counterfeit. Fearing potential health risks associated with consuming substandard or fake food products, Umesh Kumar urged the Food Safety Department to conduct an immediate inspection of National Mart, Nagaram, to verify the quality of the dates being sold.

In his complaint, he highlighted the importance of consumer safety, stating, “Ensuring the safety and well-being of consumers should be a priority, and I hope prompt action will be taken in this regard.”

Speaking with Hyderabad Mail, Umesh Kumar expressed his disappointment with the lack of a timely response from the authorities. “Initially, I raised a complaint via the toll-free number to the food safety officials about the spoiled dates. But I haven’t received any proper response in the last three months. There has been no report, no transparency, and no clear explanation of what action, if any, has been taken,” Umesh said.

He further criticised the department’s handling of his previous complaint regarding Meridian Biryani and Santosh Dhabha, Nagaram, for allegedly adding artificial colors. He pointed out that, similar to the Kimia dates issue, there had been no follow-up or clarity on what actions were taken. “They just say they seized and sent the rotten products for inspection, but I still haven’t received any report. The dates are completely spoiled, and I’ve submitted them for further testing to ensure action is taken against the seller. But until now, I haven’t heard anything,” he added.

Umesh Kumar voiced concern that without proper enforcement and accountability, sellers might continue to distribute substandard or counterfeit products to consumers, undermining public trust in food safety regulations.

As of now, there has been no official statement from the Telangana Food Safety Department regarding the status of the complaint.