Food safety officials have seized and sealed sweets suspected of containing artificial colours during inspections at bakeries in Karnad near Mangaluru, while a separate check at a medical college hospital near Surathkal found that food, water quality and kitchen hygiene required closer scrutiny.
The inspections were part of a special drive to examine the quality and safety of sweets prepared for festivals, according to a press statement. The seized samples have been sent to a food testing laboratory for examination. The report did not specify the number of bakeries inspected or the quantity of sweets seized.
Bakery owners were warned against using colours in sweets. Officials also issued notices to establishments where proper hygiene and cleanliness were not being maintained. The laboratory results will determine whether the seized products violated prescribed food-safety standards.
In a separate operation, a team led by Dakshina Kannada District Food Safety Designated Officer Dr Praveen Kumar CH conducted a surprise inspection of the canteen and hostel kitchen at a medical college and hospital near Surathkal. The inspection covered food served to patients and other people using the institution’s facilities.
Officials collected samples of ingredients used in food preparation, along with drinking water and cooking water samples. These were also sent to laboratories for testing. The inspection team instructed the hospital management to ensure that food served to patients was prepared in hygienic conditions and met prescribed quality and safety standards.
The directions included stronger attention to personal hygiene among kitchen and food-serving staff. Employees were asked to undergo regular health check-ups and submit fitness certificates. The officials also instructed the management to comply strictly with provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The inspections followed instructions from Karnataka Health Minister U T Khader, the press statement said. Further action against the establishments will depend on the laboratory findings and the authorities’ assessment of compliance with food-safety requirements.
