A food delivery order in Punjab turned into a legal battle after a customer allegedly discovered a dead bee inside a pizza ordered from Domino’s, prompting action from consumer courts against the fast-food chain. Taking note of the complaint, the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held the company accountable for serving what it described as an “unhygienic food item” and directed Jubilant Food Works Limited and Domino’s Pizza India to deposit Rs 10,000 with the PGI Poor Patient Welfare Fund.

The case originated after advocate Gurpyar Singh and another customer approached the consumer commission claiming that a dead bee had been found in the pizza they had ordered. The complainants argued that the incident caused significant mental distress, harassment, and concerns regarding food safety standards maintained by the company. The matter eventually reached the state consumer commission after earlier proceedings before the district consumer forum in Mohali.

Earlier, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in SAS Nagar (Mohali) had partly accepted the complaint and awarded the complainants Rs 1 lakh as compensation towards mental agony, harassment, and litigation expenses. The district forum had observed that consumers are entitled to hygienic and safe food products and that such incidents directly affect public trust in food chains operating across the country.

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However, Domino’s Pizza India and its parent company Jubilant Food Works challenged the order before the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. In their appeal, the company argued that the allegations were based on unverified claims and unauthenticated photographs. They maintained that there was insufficient evidence to conclusively establish that the foreign object had originated from the pizza during preparation or delivery.

The state commission, comprising Justice Daya Chaudhary and member Simarjot Kaur, partly modified the earlier order while still holding the company responsible for serving unhygienic food. While the commission set aside the Rs 1 lakh compensation granted by the district forum, it directed the company to deposit Rs 10,000 towards the PGI Poor Patient Welfare Fund as a measure acknowledging the lapse in food quality and consumer safety.

The ruling has once again highlighted growing concerns over hygiene standards and quality control in the food delivery and restaurant industry, especially as online food ordering continues to expand rapidly across India. Consumer rights activists say such cases underline the importance of stricter monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure customers receive safe and hygienic food products from major restaurant chains.

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