Bengaluru : Fungal-infested vegetables, expired milk and other unsafe food products were among the violations uncovered during a special food safety inspection drive at several upscale hotels in Bengaluru, officials said. Thirty teams of food safety officers carried out inspections across all zones under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), according to an official statement.
Officials also found vegetables and other food items affected by fungal growth. A video released by news agency ANI showed kitchen staff at one hotel apologising before disposing of a tray of baked goods in a garbage bin. Several hotels were also found failing to maintain proper separation between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Inspectors flagged improper labelling, food misbranding and violations of mandatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) labelling requirements.
At The Lalit Ashok (Annex South), officials seized 76 kg of meat and 200 kg of vegetables. They also confiscated and destroyed 32 litres of expired milk. Officials seized 3 kg of expired bakery products from Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield and 72 kg of meat from Taj Yeshwantpur. The largest seizure was reported at The Radisson Blu (The Atria), where officials confiscated 105 kg of expired food products. The seized items included 50 kg of chicken, 23 kg of meat, 7 kg of fish and 25 kg of vegetables.
The department issued notices to the hotels over the violations. Further action will be taken based on the laboratory findings and relevant provisions of the law, officials said. The Bengaluru crackdown comes amid a wider focus on food safety enforcement in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has recently intensified inspections of eateries in Mumbai, with several restaurants and clubs facing licence suspensions over violations including pest infestations, expired food and other safety lapses.
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