Bengaluru hotels raided: 132 kg rotten food, fungus-infected meat, expired curd seized in Karnataka's food safety drive
Health authorities in Karnataka have cracked down on multiple three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru, after a targeted inspection drive by the Food Safety and
Health authorities in Karnataka have cracked down on multiple three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru, after a targeted inspection drive by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) Department's Food Safety Wing exposed a string of food safety lapses, ANI reported. The department deployed 30 teams to inspect 26 hotels across the city, during which 35 food samples were collected for laboratory testing. Officials flagged a range of issues, including incorrect labelling, expired products still in use, poor storage and handling practices, fungal contamination on vegetables, and a failure to keep vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items properly separated. The inspections turned up violations such as non-adherence to FSSAI labelling norms, mislabelled and misbranded food products, expired items in storage, and unhygienic conditions around food handling and storage. Following the violations, notices have been issued to the concerned Food Business Operators (FBOs).
Adjudication proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 will now be initiated before the Adjudicating Officer. Among the samples gathered during the drive were tea powder, chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, chilli powder, turmeric powder, tomato sauce, lemon juice, cheese, papad, cashew nuts, ginger, pepper powder, spice powder and milk, along with several other food items, all of which have been sent for lab analysis. Hotel-Wise Seizures Among the establishments inspected, several saw significant quantities of food seized or destroyed. At Hotel Sky, UB City, officials seized 45 kg of rotten chicken/beef, 6 kg of vegetable cutlet and 15 litres of used cooking oil, taking the total food articles seized to 51 kg. These items were found unfit for consumption and discarded/destroyed as per procedure. At Royal Chain Hotel, 50 kg of duck and 5 kg of fish were seized, totalling 55 kg.
Madras Kitchen had 5 kg of green peas seized, while Tescon Hotel had 5 kg of mushroom seized. At Senchez Hotel, 3 kg of fish was seized, while 7 kg of cake, potato and tacos were discarded. Across these hotels, the total quantity of food articles seized or disposed of stood at 132 kg, along with 15 litres of used cooking oil. Separately, Skyee Lounge, located on the 16th floor of the same UB City building, was shut down for unhygienic maintenance of its kitchen. Officials found that all meat and beef at the premises was rotten with fungus. Milk and curd with an expiry date 10 days prior were also discovered during the inspection. Why The Drive Was Launched The drive was ordered by Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader, after the department received multiple public complaints, many of them shared on social media, accusing several eateries of unhygienic practices and the sale of substandard food, ANI reported.
The BriefWire