NEW DELHI: A food safety row on board a Vande Bharat Express has snowballed into a major controversy, with over Rs 60 lakh in penalties imposed and multiple stakeholders, including Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and Amul, coming under scrutiny.

The incident dates back to March 15, when passenger Ritesh Singh discovered live worms or weevils in a sealed cup of curd served during a journey on the Patna to Tatanagar route. A video capturing the moment quickly went viral, showing the passenger confronting onboard staff. In the clip, a train attendant is heard initially dismissing the insects as kesar, before the seriousness of the situation became apparent.

Early reports suggested the curd may have been past its expiry date or improperly stored, raising concerns over handling practices rather than just sourcing.

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The fallout was swift. On March 25, the Railway Board pulled up authorities for what it termed gross negligence, ordering strict action. The catering vendor, Krishna Enterprises, was fined Rs 50 lakh, had its contract terminated with immediate effect and was blacklisted. Meanwhile, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation itself was fined Rs 10 lakh for inadequate supervision and for initially imposing what was seen as a token penalty of Rs 25,000 on the vendor.

The railways have also summoned Amul to explain the apparent breach in product quality, even as the dairy giant has strongly denied responsibility.

In its clarification, Amul maintained that contamination at the manufacturing stage was highly unlikely. The company stated that weevils cannot survive or reproduce in sealed curd due to its acidic nature and lack of oxygen. It further indicated that an internal audit found the batch shown in the viral video did not appear to be sourced through its authorised distribution network, suggesting a possible supply chain lapse at the vendor’s end.

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The company also pointed to what it described as an “infested tray” theory, noting that a frame-by-frame review of the video suggested the pests may have crawled into the curd from an external surface rather than being present inside the sealed product during production.

While responsibility continues to be debated, the incident has triggered wider concerns over food safety standards on premium trains. The Railway Board has since ordered surprise inspections across catering services to prevent a repeat.

For passengers, the episode has left a sour aftertaste. For the railways and its partners, it is a clear signal that hygiene lapses, however small, can quickly spiral into a full-blown credibility crisis.

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