The cake linked to the death of a 10-year-old Punjab girl was baked with a high concentration of artificial sweetener, officials said on Monday. On March 24, the girl's entire family fell ill after eating the chocolate cake that was ordered online from a bakery in Patiala for her birthday.
A sample of the cake was collected for testing and the report shows a high amount of saccharine, a sweet-tasting synthetic compound, was used to cook it, District Health Officer, DHO Dr Vijay Jindal told NDTV. While small amounts of saccharine is used in food and drinks, high levels of it can cause your blood glucose levels to rise rapidly.
Officials said action will be taken against the bakery soon and a fine may be imposed. A FIR has already been filed against the bakery's owner.
In a widely shared video on social media, Manvi can be seen cutting the cake and celebrating with her family just hours before her death.
Hours after she cut the cake, her entire family fell sick, including her younger sister. The girls began vomiting and Manvi complained about dryness in their mouth and feeling parched, her grandfather said.
When she passed out, the family rushed her to a hospital. She was put on oxygen but was declared dead soon after, he said. The family alleged that the chocolate cake, ordered from 'Cake Kanha', contained poisonous substances.