FDA Orders Probe After Viral Video Shows Mumbai Vendor ‘Using’ Toilet Water at Food Stall

New Delhi: A video of a Mumbai vendor allegedly using toilet water for chutney to be served with idli has gone viral across social media, alarming netizens about the safety and quality of food served in streetside eateries.

In the video, a hawker who runs an idli stall on a pavement outside Mumbai’s Borivali Railway Station can be seen fetching water from a toilet. The 45-second video, however, doesn’t affirm the time or date of the incident.

The clip has invited the attention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which said it has launched an investigation.

The FDA has also issued a public warning against using such water, which could be contaminated.

"The video has come to our knowledge. We will conduct an inquiry against him as well as others who use such methods to do business. Such water is not healthy for consumption. People may get affected," said Shailesh Adhav of the FDA branch in Mumbai, according to news agency ANI.

Asked about the probable action that could be initiated against such vendors, the FDA official said, “When the person is caught, his licence will be checked and if any sample is found, it is seized. Necessary action will be taken.”