Bengaluru: The crackdown on stale and unhygienic food is no longer confined to Bengaluru. After surprise inspections in the state capital exposed food safety violations, the Food Safety and Drug Administration has widened its watch, with officials in Mangaluru and Mysuru now pulling expired meat, mushrooms and other perishable items off hotel shelves and kitchens on Saturday.In Mangaluru, officials conducted a surprise inspection at the KFC outlet at City Centre on KS Rao Road following a consumer complaint alleging that a Chicken Peri Peri Leg ordered online was stale and had an unpleasant taste. Officials inspected the kitchen, storeroom, cold storage, deep freezer and cooked and fried chicken kept at the outlet. Food samples were collected and sent to a laboratory for analysis, while the godown was sealed during the inspection.
FSSAI officials inspect expired food items and check the quality of vegetables at a hotel in Mysuru on Saturday.
In Mysuru, the department inspected several hotels and seized food items found to be expired or unfit for consumption. Around 9kg of chicken was seized from Rio Meridian Hotel after officials found it had crossed its expiry date. At Grand Mercure Hotel, officials seized 68kg of meat, while 4kg of mushrooms were seized from Q Star Hotel.The inspection drive was also extended to Mysuru and Nanjangud taluks, where three resorts were checked and three notices issued. Officials collected five samples — two legal samples and three survey samples — and seized and discarded 16kg of expired food and other perishable items.
FSSAI officials inspect the storeroom of a hotel in Nanjangud, Mysuru district, on Saturday.
The inspections come amid a broader state-wide push to tighten food safety enforcement, with the department indicating that scrutiny will extend across food establishments rather than being limited to smaller eateries. In Bengaluru, recent inspections covered hotels, restaurants, food-service establishments and other premises, with officials seizing more than 1,000kg of food and other products during a three-day enforcement drive.The department’s intensified action is aimed at ensuring that food businesses comply with safety, storage and hygiene requirements and that expired or unsafe food does not reach consumers.
