Bengaluru officials seize 500 kg unsafe food in star hotels

In a major crackdown on luxury hotels, food safety officials in Bengaluru uncovered widespread violations including fungal growth on vegetables, expired dairy products, and unhygienic storage conditions during surprise inspections on Friday, August 7. The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration Department deployed 30 teams to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels across the city, leading to the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of unsafe food.

The inspections, which covered all zones under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, revealed multiple lapses. Officials reported finding expired milk, bakery items, chicken, fish, and meat in storage, along with vegetables showing fungal growth. A video circulated by a news agency showed kitchen staff at one hotel discarding a tray of baked goods. Inspectors also flagged poor hygiene in kitchens and storage areas, improper labeling and misbranding of food products, and failures to store vegetarian and non-vegetarian items separately, in violation of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms.

Significant quantities of food were seized and destroyed. At The Lalit Ashok Annex South, officials confiscated 76 kg of...