Days after finding large quantities of expired meat, milk and vegetables in the kitchens of several star hotels, Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) officials continued their raids on food establishments
across Bengaluru, uncovering violations at a popular pub on Church Street.
Following the raid on Skye Pub, food safety officials conducted inspections at food establishments on Bengaluru’s Brigade Road and Church Street. At Peg and Bottles pub on Church Street, officials found expired cream, rotten mushrooms and foul-smelling items that had been stored beyond their expiry dates.
Expired Cream, Dead Cockroach
Officials found cream that had expired in February but was still being used for cooking. Packets of baby corn were also found to contain insects.
A dead cockroach was found inside a cheese packet. Officials also found poor-quality vegetables being used for Chinese dishes.
Food samples were collected for testing, following which officials sealed the kitchen and locked the pub.
The Food Department has so far inspected seven establishments as part of the ongoing city-wide crackdown, with officials continuing to check hotels and pubs for violations of food safety norms.
Food Department Raids UB City Restaurants
A 15-member Food Department team conducted raids at several prominent hotels and restaurants in UB City, Bengaluru, and found multiple food items allegedly unfit for consumption. Officials seized and disposed of a total of 132 kg of food items and 15 litres of used cooking oil during the inspections.
Rotten Chicken, Beef Seized From Skyye Lounge
At Skyye Lounge, officials seized 45 kg of rotten chicken and beef, along with 6 kg of vegetable cutlets and 15 litres of used cooking oil. The 51 kg of food articles were found unfit for consumption and discarded or destroyed as per procedure.
At Royal China restaurant, officials seized 50 kg of duck and 5 kg of fish, taking the total quantity seized from the establishment to 55 kg.
Fish, Cake, Mushrooms Among Items Seized
At Madras Kitchen, officials seized 5 kg of green peas, while 5 kg of mushrooms were seized from Toscano restaurant.
At Sanchez restaurant, officials seized 3 kg of fish. Another 7 kg of cake, potatoes and tacos were discarded.
Overall, the Food Department seized or disposed of 132 kg of food articles during the inspections, apart from 15 litres of used cooking oil.
What Did Health Minister Khader Say?
Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said food safety inspections would not be limited to establishments of a particular category and that high-end hotels and restaurants would also be checked.
“As Health Minister, I aim to ensure fewer people visit hospitals and that Karnataka becomes a healthier state. We have been inspecting hotels, but we also decided to check high-end hotels and restaurants to ensure food safety standards are followed. We were shocked to find that even five-star hotels are not maintaining basic food hygiene and proper food storage standards,” he said.
Khader said establishments charging customers premium prices must also ensure that food served to them is clean and hygienic.
“These establishments charge customers three to four times more, but still fail to provide clean and hygienic food. During the inspection, we found rotten food being stored at a particular pub.”
He said the objective of the inspections was to correct violations and ensure that people are provided safe and healthy food.
“The objective is to rectify these mistakes and ensure people get safe and healthy food. Despite media awareness, establishments continue to believe that they cannot be touched.”
Khader said notices would be issued to establishments found violating food safety norms and that action would be taken wherever necessary.
“Notices will be issued, and establishments violating food safety norms will be shut down where necessary.”
He added that establishments operating from expensive malls and high-end locations would also be subject to the same rules. “They may operate from expensive malls and high-end locations, but they are not above the law.”
Taj, Radisson, Lalit Among 5-Star Hotels Raided
Establishments including Taj Yeshwantpur and Shangri-La were also reportedly found with expired milk, rotten meat and fungus-covered vegetables. The Food Safety and Drug Administration has initiated legal action against establishments found violating food safety norms, according to ANI.
The department deployed 30 teams of Food Safety Officers to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru Urban district. During the inspection drive, officials collected 35 food samples for testing. The samples included chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, milk, spices, tea powder, cheese, tomato sauce and lemon juice.
The samples were sent to laboratories for testing, with further action to be taken based on the results.
At The Lalit Ashok (Annex South), teams confiscated 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. Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru saw 19 kg of meat confiscated, while Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield had three kg of expired bakery items destroyed.
At Taj Yeshwantpur, officials seized 72 kg of meat and fish. The largest recovery came from Radisson Blu (The Atria), where authorities destroyed 105 kg of expired food, including chicken, meat, fish and vegetables.
The department has directed all food business operators to strictly follow safety regulations and maintain prescribed standards. It warned that strict legal action will follow wherever violations are proven.
