The severed thumb discovered in the ice cream ordered by a Mumbai resident is believed to belong to an injured worker from the factory where the ice cream was produced. Police are currently conducting tests to confirm this preliminary finding. As reported by India Today, DNA samples from the factory worker in Pune have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed analysis.

The incident came to light when Brendon Ferrao, a 26-year-old doctor and resident of Malad, Mumbai, discovered a piece of flesh with a nail while consuming the ice cream after lunch on Wednesday. Ferrao, who is currently pursuing his post-graduate studies, initially mistook the piece for a nut. However, upon closer inspection, he realized it was a severed thumb.

Disturbed by the discovery, Ferrao attempted to contact the ice cream company through its Instagram page but received no satisfactory response. Consequently, he preserved the piece of flesh in an ice bag and approached the Malad police station to file a complaint.

The police have registered a case against Yummo ice cream company officials under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 273 (sale of noxious food and drink), and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

Senior police inspector Ravindra Adane confirmed that the piece of flesh, measuring approximately one-and-a-half centimeters and suspected to be a human thumb, has been sent for forensic examination to determine its origin. Initial investigations suggest that the thumb might belong to an injured factory worker at the Pune-based manufacturing facility. DNA samples from the factory staff have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for verification.

In response to the incident, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has suspended the licence of the Pune-based ice cream manufacturer pending a thorough investigation.

Ferrao expressed his shock and dismay over the incident, emphasizing the gravity of finding a human body part in a food item. “As a doctor, I am well-acquainted with human anatomy, and it was clear to me that the piece of flesh was a human thumb,” he stated.