Lizard tail found in popular ice cream brand prompts sealing and fine

A woman in Ahmedabad experienced a distressing incident after discovering parts of a lizard in a Havmor ice cream cone she was eating on Wednesday. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation AMC’s Food Department under the Health Department has taken swift action, sealing the ice cream parlour where the cone was purchased and levying a ₹50,000 fine on the manufacturing unit of Havmor ice cream located in the Naroda area of Ahmedabad. Authorities have also ordered a recall of the entire batch of the implicated product.

A family celebration turned into nightmare

According to a social media post by the affected woman Bhavika Tilwani, a resident of Maninagar, she felt something unusual in her mouth while consuming the ice cream cone and realised with horror that it was a lizard's tail. The discovery caused her to feel unwell and she was subsequently admitted to hospital, AMC officials confirmed.

Following the complaint, an investigation traced the specific ice cream cone to Havmor Ice Cream Pvt Ltd, situated in the Naroda GIDC area of Ahmedabad. In accordance with the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, a sample from the manufacturing unit has been collected and sent for analysis.

Ms Tilwani recounted her ordeal in a video before her hospitalisation, stating, “We bought four cones and while eating mine I found a lizard's tail in it. Action should be taken against the ice cream company.” Her experience transformed what should have been a delightful family treat into a nightmare as she consumed part of the cone before the gruesome discovery led to violent vomiting and her subsequent hospitalisation.

The ice cream parlour Mahalaxmi Corner, near the old railway crossing in Maninagar from where the cones were bought, has been sealed by the AMC due to a lack of license. Dr Bhavin Joshi, an additional health officer at AMC, stated, “We got the complaint through media channels about a lizard found in the ice cream leading to the parlour being sealed and a penalty imposed on Havmor Ice Cream Pvt Ltd.”

Havmor’s spokesperson issued an official statement acknowledging the incident. “The incident has been brought to our attention and we are currently investigating the matter. We are in touch with the concerned consumer and are committed to thoroughly investigating the issue at hand. At Havmor we take utmost care and are committed to maintaining the highest global standards for product quality and safety.”

The health department confirmed in a press release issued on Wednesday, “On May 14 2025 a complaint was received about a lizard found in an 80ml Happy Cone Havmor Ice Cream at Mahalaxmi Corner in Maninagar. The parlour was sealed as it did not have a license. Further investigation revealed that the Happy Cone was manufactured at Havmor Ice Cream Pvt Ltd Naroda GIDC Phase-1 factory. Samples of the Happy Cone have been sent for testing and the company has been notified to recall the entire batch from the market. A penalty of ₹50,000 has been imposed on the company.” The investigation into this serious food safety breach is ongoing.