11 people, including children, fall ill after 'dead lizard' found inside birthday cake in Maharashtra, FDA raids bakery

Eleven people, including seven children, were hospitalised after consuming a birthday cake that allegedly contained a dead lizard, in Maharashtra’a Palghar district, police said on Sunday.

Three of the seven children are critical and have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later raided and cancelled the license of the bakery from where the cake was purchased, people aware of the developments said.

According to the police, the incident took place in Neelkantheshwar in Takipada area of ​​Nalasopara (east) on Saturday evening, when local residents gathered to celebrate the birthday of a 25-year-old woman.

The local residents told the police that around 6pm, some children arrived with a cake to celebrate the woman’s birthday. Shortly after eating the cake, the children complained of a burning sensation in their chests. Subsequently, they started vomiting and had to be rushed to the nearby municipal hospital.

“The children said they found a dead lizard inside the cake. The children are admitted at Vijayalalshmi hospital,” a police officer said.

Dr Vidya Sawant said the condition of the remaining children is stable.

A team from Tulinj Police visited the hospital to review the situation. The team also seized samples of the cake and sent them for testing. “The exact cause of the food poisoning is yet to be ascertained,” the officer cited above said.

"We are investigating the case and also alerted the FDA to conduct a review of the bakery from where the cake was purchased,” Vasai-Virar region mayor Ajeev Patil said.