Netizens slam food delivery platform as girl dies after eating b'day cake ordered online

New Delhi/Chandigarh, March 31: After a 10-year-old girl reportedly died post eating her birthday cake ordered online in Patiala, netizens slammed online food delivery platforms for poor regulation over Cloud kitchens listed as food-delivering apps.

The police said on Saturday that a case under Sections 273 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered following a complaint lodged by the girl's family members, alleging that the girl died after consuming the birthday cake. Other family members also fell ill after consuming the cake.

As per the bill copy of the cake, which was ordered by the deceased girl’s mother Kajal, there is no shop named ‘Cake Kanha’ at the registered address in Patiala.

The police suspect that the bakery is a cloud kitchen. Additionally, another receipt invoice of Zomato shows billing done from Amritsar, not Patiala.

Despite reaching multiple times, Zomato did not comment.

Dr Nandita Iyer, a seasoned food and nutrition columnist, posted on X that Swiggy and Zomato should clearly highlight on each listing whether it is a cloud kitchen so people are aware of it before ordering.

“Such incidents are a harsh reminder that we have no idea what goes into the food we order from these completely unregulated places,” Iyer wrote on the social media platform.

Fitness professional Chirag Barjatya said that food safety is a joke.

“You will be surprised to know that people are running 20 different ‘restaurants’ in 1RK (room kitchen) as cloud kitchens listed over food-delivering apps. You have no idea how many mice and cockroaches were around the food you just ordered. And you have absolutely no idea if the cooked dal or rice you ordered has expired,” Barjatya posted on X.