Paneer test by students was amateur, not scientific, says NMIMS 

A picture shared by students of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies at Jadcherla that purportedly shows an insect in the mess food.

Allegations of ‘fake’ paneer and insects in the food served at SVK’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) at Jadcherla were thoroughly investigated, and an independent laboratory test disproved all claims, the university said in a statement on Monday.

“A few students claim to have tested the food using tests available on the internet, but there is no scientific sanity in these amateur testing methods. The university maintains that all food provided to students is safe, wholesome and in compliance with established food safety standards,” it said.

A comprehensive testing on a batch of 245 kg food was conducted, and the certified laboratory results confirm that there was no contamination, the university statement claimed. As per the certificate of analysis cited, the paneer manufactured on February 23 was to be used by March 9 and meets all requirements as per Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.

Several students of NMIMS fell ill on February 20 after consuming food from the campus mess. While students said nearly 170 were affected and 37 of them showed aggravated symptoms, the university stated it was an isolated incident and 29 out of 1,000 students who consumed the food showed symptoms of mild discomfort. The students, for their part, alleged that the university downplayed the incident, cited past instances of contaminated food, and an advisory mail circulated by an academic coordinator on an increase in number of students reporting symptoms related to gastro-intestinal illnesses.

In the press release, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Meena Chintamaneni stated: “Political elements with vested interests have caused unnecessary disruption by spreading disinformation. Unauthorised individuals, not parents of the affected students but those associated with local political groups, forcibly entered the campus and made abusive threats.”