Bengaluru: The canteen at Apollo Hospital on Bannerghatta Road has come under scrutiny after Karnataka health officials detected several food safety violations
during an inspection.
Inspectors reportedly found expired ingredients in the kitchen, including rava, icing sugar, maida and bakery products. Four packets of mixture and nine packets of pani puri that had crossed their expiry dates were also seized.
Apollo Hospital canteen raid
Stale bread was found on the premises, while officials flagged the use of two plastic chopping boards as a violation of food safety requirements because they can increase the risk of bacterial contamination.
The inspection team also identified several food items that were allegedly not properly labelled. These included packets of pani puri and meethi leaves, along with large quantities of fried gram, green peas and moong dal.
The findings were recorded as part of a wider enforcement operation being conducted by Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department.
Food inspection drive in Bengaluru
The special enforcement drive was conducted from August 7 to 9 under the Food Safety Division, with guidance from Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader.
Officials inspected 60 three-star and five-star hotels across Bengaluru Urban and the Greater Bengaluru area. Seventy-seven food samples were collected and sent for laboratory testing.
The inspections uncovered several other concerns, including expired products, improper food labelling, poor storage of meat and poultry, unhygienic kitchens, fungal growth on vegetables and inadequate separation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
Authorities also seized large quantities of food products during the enforcement campaign. These included 640 kg of mislabelled cereals and other products, 276 kg of rotten vegetables, 45 litres of expired milk and curd, 12 kg of expired bakery items and 67 kg of mislabelled or expired food.
Officials also confiscated 49 litres of used cooking oil.
Notices have been issued to establishments where violations were detected, with legal action recommended in appropriate cases. The department said inspections will continue across Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka.
