Rotten Meat, Expired Milk Found at Bengaluru’s Luxury Hotels During Food Safety Raids
Bengaluru: A major food safety inspection across some of Bengaluru’s most well-known luxury hotels has uncovered a disturbing list of alleged violations, including expired milk, rotten meat, fungal growth on vegetables and food being stored under unhygienic conditions.
The findings emerged during a large-scale inspection drive conducted by Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, which targeted premium three-star and five-star hotels across Bengaluru Urban district.
The inspections were carried out to ensure that even high-end hospitality establishments, which serve food to thousands of guests, are complying with food safety laws and maintaining proper hygiene standards.
According to officials, 30 teams of Food Safety Officers inspected 26 three-star and five-star hotels across the city. The operation covered all Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) zones and focused on compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with regulations framed under the law.
Expired and spoiled food discovered
The inspections reportedly revealed several alleged violations inside hotel kitchens and storage areas.
Officials found expired food products, spoiled meat, fungal growth on vegetables and unhygienic food storage conditions at multiple establishments. They also flagged improper food handling practices and instances where food products allegedly failed to meet required labelling standards.
Some hotels were also found to be non-compliant with requirements concerning the separate storage of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
The discoveries have raised concerns because the inspections were carried out at some of Bengaluru’s most prominent hospitality establishments, where customers generally expect strict standards of cleanliness and food quality.
35 food samples collected for laboratory testing
As part of the inspection process, authorities collected 35 food samples from different hotels and sent them to laboratories for detailed analysis.
The samples included a wide variety of products commonly used in hotel kitchens, including chicken, mutton, fish, milk, edible oil, spices, tea powder, cheese, tomato sauce and lemon juice.
Officials said laboratory reports will play an important role in determining further action. If the samples are found to violate food safety standards, the concerned establishments could face additional proceedings under the applicable laws.
Several hotels found with food safety violations
The inspections resulted in the seizure and destruction of significant quantities of food that officials described as expired or unsafe for consumption.
At The Lalit Ashok (Annex South), authorities seized and destroyed 76 kg of meat, 200 kg of vegetables and 32 litres of expired milk.
At Shangri-La Bengaluru, officials seized 15 kg of meat, while Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru was found with 19 kg of meat, which was confiscated during the inspection.
At Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield, officials destroyed 3 kg of expired bakery products.
One of the largest recoveries was reported at Radisson Blu (The Atria). Authorities seized and destroyed 105 kg of expired food articles from the establishment.
The seized stock reportedly included 50 kg of chicken, 25 kg of meat, 23 kg of fish and 7 kg of vegetables.
Notices issued to food businesses
Following the inspections, Food Safety officials issued notices to the concerned food business operators where violations were detected.
Authorities said legal proceedings would be initiated against establishments found to have breached food safety requirements. The department is also expected to take further action based on laboratory reports from the samples collected during the drive.
The inspections covered several areas of food safety, including the condition of kitchens, food storage practices, product expiry dates, labelling, handling procedures and segregation of different types of food.
Luxury hotels under the scanner
The inspection drive highlights that food safety requirements apply equally to establishments across the hospitality sector, regardless of their size, reputation or category.
Luxury hotels often cater to large numbers of domestic and international guests, making proper food storage, hygiene and handling particularly important.
The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has directed food business operators to strictly comply with the standards prescribed under the law and maintain appropriate hygiene throughout their kitchens and storage facilities.
Officials have also warned that violations will not be overlooked and that strict legal action will follow wherever food safety breaches are confirmed.
The ongoing inspections are therefore likely to put greater focus on how premium hotels manage their food supplies, monitor expiry dates, maintain kitchen hygiene and ensure that the food served to customers is safe for consumption.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
