Rats, cockroaches in kitchens, expired meat, spoiled chicken: How safe is the food you eat? | Bengaluru News

How safe is the food being served to you? That question is no longer limited to roadside eateries or questionable food outlets. A sweeping food safety crackdown across Karnataka and Maharashtra has put five-star hotels, popular fast-food chains, government canteens, restaurants, warehouses and even businesses supplying groceries under the scanner.Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) teams have uncovered expired and rotten food, pest infestations, poor storage conditions and other violations, raising concerns about what consumers may be eating without knowing it. The enforcement drive has already led to large quantities of food being seized and destroyed, kitchens being shut, warehouses sealed and food business licences suspended.

In Karnataka, the FDA constituted 30 special teams following multiple public complaints and began inspections with star hotels in Bengaluru before expanding the crackdown to government facilities, food-supply warehouses and other cities. In Maharashtra, the FDA has launched a wider campaign targeting major food chains, hotels, dhabas and other food establishments, with multiple licences suspended and dozens of improvement notices issued.

26 Star Hotels Inspected, 105kg of Expired Food Seized Across KarnatakaActing on multiple public complaints, the Karnataka FDA constituted 30 special teams to inspect star hotels across the state. During the first week of August, 26 star hotels in and around Bengaluru were inspected and 35 samples were collected.The inspections uncovered expired and substandard food items in several hotel kitchens.According to FDA commissioner Srinivas K, officials seized 105kg of expired food articles at Radisson Blu Atria, including 50kg of chicken, 25kg of meat, 23kg of fish and 7kg of vegetables.At The Lalit Ashok (Annex South), officials seized and destroyed 76kg of meat, 200kg of vegetables and 32 litres of expired milk. Taj Yeshwantpur saw the seizure of 72kg of meat and fish, while 19kg of meat was seized from Four Seasons Hotel.At Shangri-La Bengaluru, officials seized 15kg of meat. At Vivanta Bengaluru in Whitefield, 3kg of expired bakery products were seized. Officials also found rotten potatoes and tomatoes at one of the hotels.Inspection teams ordered the immediate disposal of expired and substandard food items, including milk, from several hotel kitchens.

“This special drive will continue Saturday. We’re carrying out detailed inspections of hotel kitchens, warehouses and centralised kitchens, with a strong focus on food safety and hygiene,” Srinivas said.The teams were instructed to conduct comprehensive checks using the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) checklist. Apart from collecting samples of mutton, chicken, fish and other non-vegetarian food for laboratory analysis, officials were asked to verify calorie information displayed on menus and inspect centralised kitchens, meat storage facilities, cold-storage units and temperature-control systems.They were also instructed to check whether hotels were properly segregating raw and cooked food, preventing cross-contamination and maintaining the cold chain.

Imported Meat From Denmark Raises Freshness ConcernsHealth minister UT Khader said the government had deliberately begun the crackdown with luxury hotels to send a strong message to the hospitality industry.“If we inspect top five-star hotels and take action, everyone below will automatically fall in line. The message should be clear: if they are not spared, nobody else will be either. Our only objective is to ensure people are served safe and healthy food,” he said.Khader also revealed that inspectors had found imported meat from Denmark in one hotel kitchen, raising questions about its freshness and quality.“When meat is readily available here, why import it from Denmark? What kind of meat is it? How long did it take to reach here? Even transporting it in containers takes nearly a month. In that case, how can we trust its quality?” he asked.The minister urged hotel owners to prioritise food safety over profits.“People pay for the food they eat. Don’t serve them food that lands them in the ICU,” he said.Khader also said consumers had a right to know what they were eating. Referring to major food chains operating in Karnataka, he questioned the sourcing and freshness of their ingredients, including buns, chicken and chicken masala.“The public has a right to know these details so they can make an informed decision about whether to eat there or not,” he added.x.com/TOIBengaluru/status/2087074986796446129?Rat In Crate: Viral Video Raises Food Safety Concerns At Blinkit OutletAnother incident has sparked concerns after a video purportedly showing a rat inside an ice-cream storage crate at a Blinkit outlet in Kalyan’s Godrej Hill area went viral, raising questions over food safety and hygiene standards.The incident reportedly occurred when a group of youths visited the outlet and allegedly spotted the rat inside the crate. They recorded the incident, following which the video was circulated on social media.The video has sparked concerns among residents, with several demanding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspect the outlet and take action if any food safety violations are found.The incident has also raised questions about the storage and handling of food products at online grocery delivery outlets before they reach consumers.

Rats In The Kitchen, Pests In The Pantry: FDA Cracks Down On Indira CanteenThe enforcement drive soon expanded to government-run Indira Canteens.A centralised kitchen of the Indira Canteen in Gottigere near Bommanahalli was seized by FDA officials after they allegedly found rodents crawling around the kitchen and food items stored in unhygienic conditions.Officials found bags containing foodgrains and oil pouches bitten by rodents. Bags containing ingredients such as sugar were also found to be infested with pests. Kitchen equipment, including idli steamers, was found in unhygienic conditions, with leftover food inside.“Our officers found rodents crawling all over the kitchen and their storage conditions were unhygienic. Considering the fact that this is a centralised kitchen that supplies food to many canteens, we have seized and closed it for now. We have issued a notice,” Srinivas said.Another centralised Indira Canteen kitchen in Lingarajapuram was inspected and found to have hygiene issues and improper storage of food items. Notices were issued to both kitchens.The FDA also inspected food preparation units in Gottigere, Lingarajapuram and Singasandra. Notices were issued over violations including non-compliant labelling, misbranding and poor hygiene. Officials collected samples of pulses, turmeric powder, cooking oil, jaggery, salt, sugar and prepared food items for laboratory analysis.Cockroaches, Expired Food And Lax Pest Control: FDA Crackdown Enters Govt OfficesThe crackdown then reached government establishments, including Arogya Soudha, the headquarters of Karnataka’s health department, and Vidhana Soudha.At the Arogya Soudha canteen on Magadi Road, FDA officials found expired idli rava and coconut powder. They also found that food products were not stored according to FSSAI guidelines and that adequate pest-control measures had not been carried out.The department issued a notice to the canteen. A Nandini parlour on the premises of the health department headquarters was also issued a notice for labelling violations.At Vikasa Soudha, officials sealed a canteen after finding unhygienic conditions. They also inspected four hotels on the premises of Legislators’ Home and closed Mallige Ootada Mane after spotting cockroaches in the kitchen and finding inadequate pest-control measures. The other three hotels were issued notices.A hotel on the premises of MS Building was also closed due to unhygienic conditions.FDA Action On Zepto Warehouse After Food Safety Violations FoundThe FDA also expanded its inspections to major food-supply operators.A Zepto warehouse operated by Nippon Express in Hoskote taluk of Bengaluru Rural was sealed after officials found non-compliant labelling, misbranding and unhygienic food handling and storage conditions.The department also inspected a Hyperpure by Zomato unit at Sakalawara, Anekal, which supplies food and other products to several hotels.Although officials said the premises were clean and tidy, they found lapses involving labelling, licensing and storage. The team found 146kg of chicken for which the manufacturer’s FSSAI licence number was unavailable and 40kg of garlic sourced from a manufacturer whose FSSAI licence was not in force.Officials also found alleged mislabelling on 300kg of rice, 20kg of dry fruits and 15kg of spices. In addition, 10kg of imported radish pickle was not stored in a refrigerated area as required by its labelling conditions.The FDA collected 40 samples from the Hyperpure unit, including five legal samples and 35 survey samples, and issued a notice.Srinivas said the department would inspect establishments involved in food preparation, storage and manufacturing.“We’ll go everywhere there is food, cooking or manufacturing,” he said.‘Stale, Spoiled, Foul-Smelling’: FDA Inspects KFC Outlet In Mangaluru After ComplaintThe enforcement drive was later extended beyond Bengaluru.In Mangaluru, Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) officials conducted a surprise inspection at the KFC outlet in City Centre on KS Rao Road following a consumer complaint that a Chicken Peri Peri Leg ordered online was stale, spoiled, foul-smelling and had an unpleasant taste.Officials inspected the kitchen, storeroom, cold storage, deep freezer and cooked and fried chicken kept at the outlet. Food samples were collected and sent to a laboratory for analysis, while the godown was sealed.In Mysuru, officials inspected several hotels and seized food items found to be expired or unfit for consumption. Around 9kg of chicken was seized from Rio Meridian Hotel after officials found it had crossed its expiry date. Grand Mercure Hotel saw the seizure of 68kg of meat, while 4kg of mushrooms were seized from Q Star Hotel.The drive also covered Mysuru and Nanjangud taluks, where three resorts were inspected and three notices issued. Officials collected five samples and seized and discarded 16kg of expired food and other perishable items.‘Public Health Risk’: Maharashtra Bans Analogue PaneerIn Maharashtra, the FDA has intensified its food safety enforcement with action against food establishments, major chains and other food businesses.The FDA issued an immediate, one-year statewide ban on the manufacture, distribution and sale of unstandardised analogue and non-dairy paneer, citing public health risks and consumer deception.The order also covers hotels, catering businesses and other eateries. Earlier, restaurants had been asked to declare analogue paneer, but the FDA has now imposed a complete ban.FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department tested 308 paneer samples, of which 79 were found substandard and 30 unsafe.KFC, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Pizza Hut Under Lens As FDA Inspects 104 OutletsThe Maharashtra FDA also inspected major food chains, including KFC, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King, Monginis and Domino’s.The special drive covered 104 chain restaurant establishments. Two establishments received stop-business notices, 95 were served improvement notices and five food business licences were suspended.Four Domino’s outlets had their licences suspended, including three in Mumbai. The Mumbai outlets were located in Vile Parle West, Borivli West and R-City Mall in Ghatkopar West.The Vile Parle outlet had deficiencies related to the display of its FSSAI licence, potable water, food storage, pest control and hygiene facilities. The Borivli outlet was found to have 15% non-compliance, while the Ghatkopar outlet faced deficiencies in cleanliness, sanitation scheduling and pest control.The Ghatkopar outlet also failed to follow FIFO and FEFO practices and maintain proper temperature control in food storage. The FDA flagged the absence of food-grade certificates and records relating to calibration, preventive maintenance, food and water testing and food safety.The licence of a Domino’s outlet in Malkapur and two fast-food outlets operated by Sapphire Foods India in Karad were also suspended.Dirty Kitchens, Poor Hygiene: FDA Suspends Several Food Business Licences In Nashik, MumbaiIn Nashik, the FDA suspended the licences or registrations of eight food establishments in two days after finding serious hygiene violations and non-compliance with food safety norms.During inspections on August 12, licences of three hotels were suspended. The action followed raids on August 11, when officials inspected two hotels, two bakeries and a snack manufacturing unit and found violations of Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.In Mumbai, the FDA also suspended the licences of Mumbai Metro Dhaba in Mulund and Gulshan-Da-Punjabi Dhaba in Bhandup after inspections found shortcomings in basic facilities, cleanliness, water, ventilation, pest control and food storage.Across the wider Maharashtra drive, the FDA inspected 120 hotels, restaurants and dhabas, issued 54 improvement notices and suspended 11 food business licences. Authorities also seized stocks of substandard milk and dairy products, loose edible oils and banned items such as gutka and pan masala.The enforcement drives in Karnataka and Maharashtra have now extended across star hotels, government canteens, warehouses, centralised kitchens, restaurants, dhabas and major food chains, with FDA teams focusing on hygiene, storage, labelling, pest control, temperature management and compliance with food safety regulations.