BENGALURU: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated strict penal proceedings against Bengaluru-based nutraceutical and healthcare company British Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. following inspections focused on infant food safety and statutory compliance.The food safety and drugs administration (FDA) stated, “A substantial quantity of misbranded infant food was seized under the FSS Act, 2006. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the FBO.”A substantial quantity of misbranded infant food was seized under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and legal proceedings were initiated against the food business operator (FBO), news agency ANI reported.Given the seriousness of the violations and the potential risks posed by non-compliant infant food products, the court ordered 3.7 metric tonnes of expired infant food articles to be destroyed.The expired stock was safely disposed of to prevent its reuse, diversion or reintroduction into the food chain.FSSAI said the enforcement action reinforces its commitment to protecting the health and safety of infants and young children, ANI reported.Earlier in August, Karnataka’s department of food safety and drugs administration conducted a statewide enforcement drive covering hostels, schools, hotels, highway dhabas, e-commerce warehouses and bus stands.The operation targeted hygiene violations, artificial additives, mislabelled meat and other regulatory lapses across rural and urban areas, including high-end establishments in Bengaluru.Officials inspected 629 Backward Classes hostels and collected 1,860 samples. Another 331 social welfare department hostels were inspected, with 556 samples collected, ANI reported.Inspections were also conducted at 603 Anganwadi centres, where 549 food samples were collected. The department said 25,626 Anganwadi centres have now received free food safety registration.A total of 124 educational institutions were inspected, with 53 suspicious food samples sent for laboratory testing.Officials checked 889 food stalls across 186 bus stands. Notices were issued to 206 stalls for unhygienic conditions, while spot fines totalling Rs 55,000 were collected.Five teams raided 99 dhabas along the Nelamangala-Haveri highway corridor through Tumakuru, Chitradurga and Davangere. Fines totalling Rs 3,67,500 were imposed.Within BBMP limits, 30 teams inspected more than 60 three- and five-star hotels, four international restaurants and eight warehouses. Notices were served to 30 operators.During hotel inspections in Bengaluru, authorities seized large quantities of expired, rotten, and improperly stored food items.A total of 429 kg of mutton and chicken was seized over mislabelling or expired dates.Another 203 kg of fish was seized for having extended expiry dates. Officials also found 200 kg of vegetarian food stored alongside non-vegetarian items and 76 kg of rotten or mouldy vegetables.The seizures also included 45 litres of milk and curd, 49 litres of substandard used cooking oil, 12 kg of bakery products and 67 kg of cereals.Of 41 shawarma and 21 kebab samples tested for artificial colours, nine shawarma and one kebab sample were declared unsafe, prompting legal action, ANI reported.The department also collected 36 egg mayonnaise samples across Karnataka.At the Tamil Nadu border, four teams tested 25 incoming milk and dairy samples and found one substandard sample.Officials also inspected 236 e-commerce warehouses and facilities. Legal proceedings were initiated against 44 warehouses, while eight were fined Rs 1,97,000 for poor hygiene.To improve long-term compliance, the department trained 11,370 food business operators under FSSAI’s FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification) programme.State officials said rigorous inspections and sampling drives will continue regularly to ensure strict adherence to food safety standards across Karnataka.(With agency inputs)
