Bengaluru: The food safety crackdown reached the corridors of power Wednesday, with Food Safety and Drug Administration raiding canteens at Vidhana Soudha and health department headquarters.
FDA officials inspected Arogya Soudha canteen Wednesday
FDA officials inspected Arogya Soudha canteen on Wednesday
At Arogya Soudha, officials inspecting the canteen allegedly found expired idli rava , coconut powder and unhygienic storage of food ingredients in violation of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines. The canteen did not have adequate pest-control measures, prompting FDA to issue a notice. Officials said a case will be registered for initiating legal action before the adjudicating officer.A notice was also issued to a Nandini parlour on the premises of the health department headquarters for labelling violations.The action then moved closer to the state’s power centre, Vidhana Soudha. Officials sealed a canteen in Vikasa Soudha after finding unhygienic conditions in its kitchen. They inspected four hotels on the premises of Legislators’ Home and closed one — Mallige Ootada Mane — after spotting cockroaches in the kitchen and finding inadequate pest-control measures. The other three hotels were also issued notices.A hotel was closed on the premises of MS Building due to unhygienic conditions. “The food business operator submitted an undertaking stating that deficiencies relating to unhygienic conditions will be rectified and that the hotel will be reopened only after obtaining permission from the commissioner, in accordance with Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules, 2011. Action will be initiated against the operator,” said FDA commissioner Srinivas K.
FDA officials on Wednesday inspected Mallige Ootada Mane on Vidhana Soudha premises
Notice issued To Zomato warehouse
FDA found lapses involving labelling, licensing and storage of several food products at the Hyperpure by Zomato warehouse.
The FDA team inspected a Hyperpure by Zomato unit at Sakalawara, Anekal, Tuesday and found lapses involving labelling, licensing and storage of several food products at the warehouse, which supplies food and other products to several hotels. The premises, however, was clean during the inspection.The team found 146kg of chicken for which the manufacturer’s FSSAI licence number was not available and 40kg of garlic was sourced from a manufacturer whose licence was not in force. The team found 300kg rice, 20kg dry fruits and 15kg spices with alleged mislabelling. Besides, 10kg imported radish pickle was not stored in a refrigerated area, as required by the labelling condition.FDA issued a notice to the Zomato unit and said legal action will be taken as per prescribed provisions. Zomato did not respond to TOI queries.Inset: Khader Says PGs, hostels nextHealth minister UT Khader Wednesday said the govt has a clear roadmap for the next phase of its food safety drive. “For us, people are important. We want to bring PGs and all govt/private hostels under the food safety net, as many students come from faraway places and cannot afford to eat out. Public canteens, including those at Vidhana Soudha and govt hospitals, will also be covered,” he said.“We also want food outlets to disclose how long products such as chicken and buns can be stored and how long they have actually been in storage,” he added.Inset 2: Ban extended on gutka, paan masala with tobacco and nicotineKarnataka Wednesday renewed its ban on gutka and paan masala containing tobacco and nicotine, with FDA issuing a fresh one-year prohibition on their manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale across the state. Karnataka first banned gutka and tobacco-containing paan masala in 2013, and the ban is renewed annually.
