Bengaluru food safety inspections across clubs, paying guest accommodations and government offices have found expired food, unhygienic kitchens, storage violations and other breaches, prompting the closure or sealing of facilities and notices to 23 PGs, according to the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration.
The Food Safety Wing conducted the special inspections recently across Bengaluru City, Bengaluru Rural and Greater Bengaluru Authority areas. Officials initiated legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, where serious violations were recorded.
At Chairman’s Club in Sahakaranagar, also known as Dollars Colony, inspectors found the kitchen operating in unhygienic conditions. The inspection identified 40 kg of expired chilli stored as a food product, along with 5 kg of improperly labelled bread crumbs and 2 kg of Sajeera food products. Officials also found unauthorised or prohibited artificial colours and observed vegetarian and non-vegetarian food products being stored together.
The club kitchen was closed and seized because of the deficiencies, and further legal action has been initiated, the department said. The inspection covered food preparation and storage areas as part of the assessment of hygiene and compliance.
Officials also inspected the Cabinet Hall pantry at Vidhana Soudha during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. The inspection covered cleanliness, food storage, food quality and inventory management. Floors, shelves, corners and appliances were checked and found to be clean and free of dust. Officials also checked sinks and drainage systems for leaks, verified manufacturing and expiry dates on labels, and inspected the pantry for signs of pests, rodents or droppings.
The wider inspection drive covered 64 paying guest accommodations. Officials detected hygiene deficiencies and food-safety violations at 23 establishments and issued notices. They also collected 12 food samples for laboratory analysis. The items found in use at some PGs included expired curd, Swastik bisibele bath powder, rice flour, synthetic food colour, black pepper and misbranded mixture.
At Nandana Elite PG in Bommasandra, inspectors found bed bug powder on a dining table alongside food articles. Unused and non-food-related materials were also stored in the area providing drinking water, which officials described as unhygienic. The dining area was sealed.
The department has instructed PG owners and people involved in food handling to comply with food-safety and hygiene requirements. The collected samples will undergo laboratory analysis, while legal proceedings linked to the reported violations will continue under the applicable food-safety law.
