A posh pub in Bengaluru was shut down, while several other eateries and restaurants faced legal action after a food safety inspection found huge amounts of rotten food, improperly stored preparations and other violations.
The food products seized included fungus-infested rotten meat, large quantities of sauces unfit for consumption, expired dairy products, fish, mushrooms and other items.
As many as 132 kg of food items, including 70 kg of soy sauce, and 15 litres of used cooking oil were seized across Bengaluru during raids by the Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department at food storage facilities and food business establishments in Bengaluru Urban district and BBMP zones.
At Skyye Lounge, a pub in the UB City luxury mall, officials found the kitchen being maintained in an unhygienic condition and ordered its closure. Rotten chicken and beef were found in the kitchen, with fungus reportedly growing on the meat.
Officials also found milk and curd whose expiry dates had passed by around 10 days. A total of 51 kg of food articles at the premises, including 45 kg of rotten chicken and beef and 6 kg of vegetable cutlets, were found unfit for consumption and discarded or destroyed as per procedure. Another 15 litres of used cooking oil was disposed of.
Several other hotels and eateries also faced seizure and disposal of food items during the inspections.
At the Royal Chain Hotel, officials seized 50 kg of duck and 5 kg of fish, taking the total quantity seized there to 55 kg. At Madras Kitchen, 5 kg of green peas was seized, while 5 kg of mushrooms was seized from Tescon Hotel.
At Senchez Hotel, officials seized 3 kg of fish, while another 7 kg of food items, comprising cake, potatoes and tacos, was discarded.
Food storage and distribution centres operated by Coldman Logistics and Radhakrishna Foodland, which supply food products to several reputed hotel establishments in Bengaluru, were also inspected.
During the inspections at these facilities, around 70 kg of soy sauce and various other sauces nearing their expiry dates were found and seized, the department said.
The teams also collected five meat samples and 13 other food samples and sent them for analysis. Around 10 litres of beverages, including strawberry-flavoured beverages and other drinks nearing their expiry dates, were also seized and confiscated.
The inspections were part of a wider special drive launched by the Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department to check food storage facilities operated by food business operators across Bengaluru Urban district and BBMP zones.
The department constituted 30 teams comprising Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers for the drive. On August 8, the teams inspected food storage facilities in different parts of Bengaluru that supply food materials, mutton and fish to national and international hotels and other caterers.
The teams examined the storage conditions, quality of food products and safety measures followed at the facilities, officials said.
The department added legal action would be initiated against food business operators found violating food safety and quality requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Source: India Today