Karnataka has launched a major food and drug safety enforcement drive following statewide inspections of hotels, food outlets, warehouses and pharmacies. Authorities found unhygienic conditions, unsafe food samples, expired products and labelling violations.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration will impose penalties, issue closure notices against serious offenders and conduct follow-up inspections to ensure compliance.
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Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader announced that the Food Safety and Drug Administration will conduct follow-up inspections and enforce strict penalties against non-compliant businesses.
Establishments facing safety violations have been given a 10 to 15-day deadline to rectify all identified deficiencies regarding kitchen cleanliness, hygiene standards, storage facilities, labelling accuracy, and supply chain management across the state.
Unsafe Shawarma And Kebab Samples Found
State officials inspected 960 government hostels, comprising 629 Backward Classes and 331 Social Welfare facilities, collecting 2,416 food samples for testing. Additionally, inspections across 889 food outlets at 186 bus stands resulted in notices being issued to 206 non-compliant establishments, alongside Rs 55,000 in spot fines for public hygiene and safety violations.
Five inspection teams scrutinised 99 highway dhabas on the Nelamangala to Haveri route, imposing fines totalling Rs 3.67 lakh. Following laboratory analysis, nine out of 41 shawarma samples and one of 21 kebab samples were declared unsafe for consumption.
Consequently, authorities have initiated strict legal proceedings, while 12 additional food samples are currently undergoing further testing for illegal artificial food colours, as per ETV Bharat.
Food, Warehouse And Hotel Inspections
State officials inspected 236 e-commerce warehouses, launching legal action against 44 and fining eight Rs 1.97 lakh for unhygienic practices. Comprehensive safety checks were similarly extended to food outlets near educational institutions, hotels, warehouses, and international restaurants across Karnataka.
The drive led to the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of spoiled, improperly stored, or mislabelled meat, fish, vegetables, and cereals. Authorities also confiscated non-compliant cooking oil alongside dozens of litres and kilograms of expired dairy products and bakery items.
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QR-Based Complaint System Launched
The department partnered with the Centre for e-Governance to launch a QR-based grievance redressal system. Citizens can report and track complaints regarding unhygienic food, artificial colours, overpriced or expired medicines, adverse drug reactions, and substandard pharmacy services, according to ETV Bharat.
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