Bengaluru Food Safety Drive Seizes 132 Kg Rotten Food

Food and Beverages

Karnataka's latest food safety inspections uncovered rotten meat, expired dairy products, poor storage practices, and other violations across Bengaluru hotels.

132 kg of food was seized or disposed of across inspected establishments
15 litres of used cooking oil were also seized
Rotten chicken, beef, duck, fish, vegetables, and other products were found
Skyee Lounge at UB City was shut down over reported hygiene violations
35 food samples have been sent for laboratory testing
Food operators face proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act

The latest Bengaluru food safety campaign has led to the confiscation or destruction of 132 kg of food items and 15 litres of recycled cooking oil, and the discovery of spoiled meat, contaminated food, expired dairy products, and unhygienic kitchens in many hotels and restaurants.

In response to complaints from members of the public concerning food hygiene, the Food Safety Wing of Karnataka FDA formed 30 inspection teams to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru. A total of 35 food samples were collected for laboratory analysis, and various violations were found in food storage, labeling, handling, and hygiene.

The problems include expired and improperly labeled products, improper storage, fungal contamination, and improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items. Notices have been issued to the concerned food business operators. Proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, will commence in due course.

One of the major seizures in the Bengaluru hotel raids was at Hotel Sky at UB City, where 45 kg of rotting chicken and beef, 6 kg of vegetable cutlets, and 15 litres of waste cooking oil were seized. All the food items were determined non-consumable and disposed of.

The highest seizure among individual food items was at Royal Chain Hotel, where 50 kg of duck and 5 kg of fish were seized. Food items were also seized from other places like Madras Kitchen, Tescon Hotel, Sanchez Hotel, and other inspected places.

In another raid, Skyee Lounge at UB City was closed for having rotten, fungus-infected meat and beef in the kitchen. Along with this, expired milk and curd (10 days old) were found. This food safety raid was ordered by Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader due to increasing public complaints, including those raised via social media.

This latest Karnataka food safety operation comes on the back of last year's "Operation Eat Right," which dealt with food safety violations, food poisoning issues, and the use of artificial colors. Business Honor believes stricter inspections and transparent enforcement are essential to protect consumers and strengthen food safety standards across Bengaluru.