Bengaluru: In its latest action under an intensified enforcement drive across Karnataka, Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected 45 ice cream manufacturing facilities Thursday and found expired ingredients at two units in Bengaluru. Officials also found unhygienic conditions at a facility in Raichur and labelling deficiencies at units in Bengaluru and Mysuru.At Savara Ice Cream Café in Jayanagar 3rd Block, officials seized expired food products, including Britannia biscuits, Nandini Samrudhi milk, tea and coffee mixes, and desiccated coconut powder. At MN Enterprises in Bilekahalli, off Bannerghatta Road, expired plain caramel, Nestlé Milkmaid and Milky Mist khoa were seized. Officials also found labelling deficiencies at the latter unit.In Raichur, inspectors found unhygienic conditions at Gemini Ice Cream manufacturing unit and issued a notice. At John Candy Ice Cream manufacturing unit in Mysuru, labelling-related deficiencies were detected and ice cream products worth Rs 20,000 were seized. The department said further legal action would be initiated against the units for violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations.As part of Thursday’s drive, officials collected 70 samples of ice cream, milk, milk powder, flavouring substances, sugar, food additives and other raw materials. These have been sent to govt laboratories for analysis to assess their quality and compliance with prescribed food safety standards. Their results are awaited.The inspections are part of a wider crackdown launched by the state FDA in Aug. The department has since expanded its inspections across the food supply chain, covering star hotels, restaurants, food storage and distribution facilities, quick-commerce warehouses, govt canteens and paying guest accommodations.Earlier inspections in Bengaluru uncovered expired meat and dairy products, rotten vegetables, used cooking oil and unhygienic food-handling conditions at hotels and other establishments. In Sept, officials also seized expired and mislabelled food products worth crores of rupees during inspections of storage and distribution facilities, including those linked to quick-commerce platforms. The department has said such inspections will continue across the state to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and protect public health.
