Delhi Buckwheat Flour Food Poisoning During Navratri

On 23 September 2025, during ongoing Navratri fasts, over 200 people in Northwest Delhi reported symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and dizziness after consuming food prepared with buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta).

Hospitals in the area, notably Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, carried out emergency treatment; no deaths have been reported.

The incident triggered investigations: food safety authorities collected flour samples from local markets (e.g. Adarsh Nagar) for laboratory testing.

The outbreak has raised alerts in neighboring regions (Ghaziabad, Noida) to scrutinize fasting food items for contamination.

Background & Analysis:

During Navratri, many devotees avoid grains and consume alternative flours like buckwheat (kuttu) or water chestnut (singhara). Demand surges in these markets, putting pressure on supply chains.

Contamination risks include adulteration (mixing of cheaper flours or harmful ingredients), storage issues (moisture, pests), or unhygienic production conditions.

Foodborne illness outbreaks in festival seasons are not new; authorities often struggle with enforcement at small-scale vendors and unregistered producers.

Implications / Way forward:

Strengthen food safety surveillance especially in peak-demand seasons; mobile inspection teams and rapid test kits should be deployed in markets.

Educate consumers about safety (purchase from reliable vendors, awareness of hygiene and labeling).

Enforce stricter regulation and oversight of small scale and informal food processors, especially for festival-related foods.

Strengthen inter-agency coordination (municipal food safety, health authorities, police) for outbreak response and traceability.