Bengaluru's ongoing food safety crackdown has now reached a private hospital, with officials finding expired raw materials and stale food items inside its kitchen during an inspection.
Officials from Karnataka's Food Safety Division found expired rava, icing sugar, maida and bakery products stored in containers during the inspection, according to information shared with NDTV.
Several other expired food products were also recovered, including four packets of mixture and nine packets of paani puri.
The food safety team also found stale bread, along with five packets of methi leaves, six packets of fried gram weighing around 30 kg, a 30-kg packet of green peas and five packets of moong dal weighing 30 kg. The inspection at the hospital came amid an intensified food safety drive across Bengaluru, with authorities checking kitchens and food-handling practices at prominent establishments.
Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader had earlier said inspections would be carried out irrespective of the establishment, stressing that public health would take priority. The inspections are being conducted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration has directed food business operators to strictly comply with the applicable regulations and warned that violations would invite stringent action. The latest findings come days after food safety inspections at some of Bengaluru's prominent luxury hotels and resorts uncovered expired milk, rotten meat and other violations.
The inspection drive had covered properties including Four Seasons and Shangri-La, among others, with authorities initiating legal proceedings over violations found during the checks. Taj Yeshwantpur, which was also inspected, said its establishment scored 95 out of 100 on the food safety and hygiene scale.
The wider inspection campaign has focused on premium hospitality establishments, with authorities stressing that high-end hotels and other prominent institutions are not exempt from food safety requirements. The latest action at a hospital kitchen further broadens the scope of the crackdown, putting the spotlight on food served not only at restaurants and hotels but also at institutions where patients, staff and visitors depend on meals prepared on-site.
Authorities have maintained that food business operators must adhere to prescribed safety and hygiene standards, regardless of the nature or profile of the establishment.
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