The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration has undertaken a large-scale enforcement initiative focusing on food safety across the state. This extensive operation, as reported on Monday, involved inspections of various food establishments including hostels, eateries, hotels, roadside dhabas, schools, and e-commerce warehouses. Thousands of food samples were collected during these inspections for laboratory testing, leading to the identification of numerous violations state-wide.

In response to complaints regarding poor hygiene standards and the use of artificial colours in food items, inspectors focused on testing specific products. A total of 41 shawarma and 21 kebab samples were tested, resulting in nine shawarma samples and one kebab sample being declared unsafe. Legal proceedings are now being initiated against the individuals responsible for these violations.

As part of the inspections, the enforcement team examined 629 Backward Classes hostels, where 1,860 food samples were collected for testing. Additionally, 331 hostels managed by the Social Welfare Department were inspected, leading to the collection of a further 556 samples.

Fines and Notices Issued Across Various Establishments

The campaign included inspections at 186 bus stations, where a total of 889 food establishments were evaluated. Notices were issued to 206 establishments found to be in violation of safety standards, and fines amounting to Rs 55,000 were imposed. Furthermore, 603 Anganwadi centres were also inspected, resulting in 549 food samples being taken for analysis.

During this operation, 1,257 Anganwadi centres received complimentary registration, and a significant number of food business operators—11,370 in total—were trained under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Food Safety Training and Certification (FOSTaC) programme. The initiative also targeted 99 roadside dhabas situated along major highways, where violations were observed and fines totalling Rs 3.67 lakh were imposed.

In addition, officials inspected 236 e-commerce food warehouses and initiated proceedings against 44 of these establishments. Eight warehouses were penalised a total of Rs 1.97 lakh due to unhygienic conditions discovered during the inspections. The efforts reflect a comprehensive approach to improving food safety in the state.

Seizures of Substandard Food Items and Laboratory Testing

As part of the ongoing crackdown, inspections were also carried out at 124 schools and colleges, resulting in the collection of 53 food samples deemed suspicious for further analysis. Among the samples collected were 36 egg mayonnaise variants earmarked for laboratory testing. The drive extended to Bengaluru, where over 60 three-star and five-star hotels, eight warehouses, and four international restaurants were inspected, leading to notices being served to 30 food business operators.

During the enforcement operation, officials seized a range of expired, misleadingly labelled, and improperly stored food items. The items confiscated included 378 kg of mutton and chicken, an additional 51 kg of the same, 203 kg of fish, 200 kg of vegetarian food, 76 kg of vegetables, 45 litres of milk and curd, 12 kg of bakery products, 67 kg of cereals, as well as 49 litres of cooking oil that did not comply with safety regulations.

The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration has stated that further laboratory analysis and legal actions are being pursued against establishments found violating food safety regulations. The comprehensive effort aims to enhance food safety measures across Karnataka in response to growing health concerns among consumers.

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