640 kgs expired meat ,276 kgs rotten vegetables seized from Bengaluru star hotels during food safety raids

Bengaluru: A three-day inspection drive by the Food Safety Department at star hotels across Bengaluru has raised serious concerns over food storage and hygiene practices, with officials seizing 640 kg of meat and fish, 276 kg of spoiled vegetables and several other food products that were found unfit for consumption.

The department inspected 60 three-star and five-star hotels located across Bengaluru Urban district and the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits. During the inspections, officials collected 77 food samples, including chicken, meat, fish, bread, mayonnaise, cooking oil, curd, pulses, chickpeas, coriander, chutney and marinated food products. The samples have been sent to laboratories for quality and safety testing.

Officials said a significant quantity of meat and fish had either crossed its expiry date or did not carry proper manufacturing and expiry details. In some cases, products were reportedly found to have been stored for more than a year beyond their permissible shelf life.

The inspections also uncovered violations involving imported food products that had allegedly been repacked locally without adequate labelling. Officials found several products without essential information such as manufacturing dates, expiry dates and other mandatory details.

Food Safety Department Commissioner K Srinivas said the inspections revealed multiple violations of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms, including improper storage, mislabelling and inadequate hygiene.

The department also found instances of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food being stored without proper segregation. Meat, fish and poultry products were reportedly not maintained under appropriate storage conditions. Officials also detected fungal growth on vegetables and other food items.

Around 45 litres of milk and curd, 49 litres of used or improperly stored cooking oil, 12 kg of bakery products and 67 kg of grains and other food products were also seized during the operation.

Officials said some bakery products, including cake-related items, had exceeded their permitted consumption period. The use of artificial colours and other violations in food handling were also reported.

The Food Safety Department has issued notices to hotels found violating food safety regulations. Authorities have recommended initiating legal proceedings before the designated adjudicating authority against establishments where violations were established.

The department said further action would depend on laboratory test results and the findings of the ongoing investigation. The inspections are aimed at ensuring that hotels serving large numbers of residents, tourists and business travellers comply with mandatory food safety and hygiene standards.