Woman has harrowing time at airport over metal in peanuts pack

The peanuts that Anne had picked from a reputed bakery in Kerala

The urge to have peanuts during a flight proved costly for a corporate trainer from Pune. Anne Anish, 38, went through a harrowing time at Kochi International Airport on February 4 after the X-ray scanners beeped signalling presence of metal in her handbag.

The rusted metal piece in the peanut packet that caused all the trauma for the corporate trainer

Anne was made to open the goodies that she had packed for her loved ones in Mumbai and Pune. She was allowed to board the flight after the security found a rusted nut-bolt along with the peanuts that she had picked from a reputed bakery. Anne has now approached the consumer court and wants flyers from Kerala to be vigilant while buying packed items from bakeries.

Anne had visited her home town Tiruvalla with her younger brother for a property deal. A day before her return flight to Pune, she bought snacks, including a 250-gram packet of peanuts, from M/s Thomson Bakers, Manjadi, in Tiruvalla district that runs a chain of bakeries.

Advocate Benny A D from Thrissur said there is merit in the case over the substandard packaging and the hardship that Anne went through

The corporate trainer said she put the snacks in her hand baggage before heading for Kochi airport for check-in.

"Though my bag was full of eatables, the scanner was showing the presence of some metal items. After struggling to locate it for 40 minutes, the CISF decided to scan each item. They looked at the peanut packet and asked me with suspicion what was inside. A metal piece of approximately 50 gram was found inside," she said.

The experience left Anne traumatised. "The CISF personnel were thorough professionals, but they were firm at some point. Since other passengers were all looking at me, it was quite an embarrassment."

Anne Anish, complainant

Once they found she was innocent, the security gave an all-clear. "I was allowed to go and the airport security also asked me to place a complaint against M/s Thomson Bakers. My flight was at 6pm, and I was held at security check-in till 5.45pm on which the paging call had started for me."

Once in Pune, Anne spoke to the bakery but their response was casual. "The owner told me disrespectfully to complain and do whatever I wanted. I have written a complaint to the Consumer Redressal Forum and the Food Safety Commissioner, Kerala."

‘Untoward incident averted'
A patient of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an immune disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally resulting in low platelet count, Anne said the unprecedented experience could have affected her physically.

She was diagnosed with ITP after her lungs collapsed due to dengue in October 2016 and was put on ventilator/ECMO support for nearly three months, before she regained senses, only to slip into a massive cardiac arrest. While performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), her ribs got fractured and she had to be provided with breathing aids, which continued for a while even after her discharge. Even today, she faces breathing issues and her oxygen saturation level remains between 90-95 per cent, which suddenly drops to 85 per cent and her heart rate races above 120 beats per minute.

"I was already stressed as I had no clue about what was happening. I was late to board the flight and the airline was sending paging messages on the public address system. My brother was not sure if I had boarded the flight or not. As stress could trigger complications, I could sense I was finding it difficult to breath. But luckily, the CISF and other security personnel were satisfied about the source of the beep and advised me to register a complaint against the bakery," said Anne.

Baker's version
Benoy Varghese, the production manager at M/s Thomson Bakers, Manjadi, said, "I do not have anything to say, if the customer has made up her mind to take up the matter legally, so be it, we will also respond the legal way"

What CISF, Food Safety officials say
A CISF official attached to Kochi International Airport confirmed the "unusual" incident and said that the passenger was told to unpack the items only for security reasons. Regunatha Kurup, Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, Adoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, said since the bakery is in Alleppey district, officials from there have started an inquiry. "I have directed them to submit their investigation cum action taken report, in case they find any evidence against the bakery, as per the complaint." If violations are found, punishment can vary from penalty to prosecution and even cancellation of licenses, he said.

Expert view
Advocate Benny A D, from Thrissur, who has been practising in consumer court for over three decades said, "It is only the awareness of consumers that such matters are coming to light. Such instances of finding metals, foreign bodies from packed eatables have become quite common, raising concern about the quality and hygiene that is maintained while preparing and packing such eatables." Benny said there is sufficient merit in Anne's complaint to nail the bakery over substandard packaging and the resultant hardship she went through. "The court relies on direct and circumstantial evidence, and the consumer has to ensure that the said packaging and product with the label is submitted to the consumer court," added Benny. Anne has already made the bill a part of her complaint.

50gm
Approx. weight of the metal piece that was found with the peanuts