The action comes amid a wider food safety drive in Bengaluru, with Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department carrying out inspections at hotels, restaurants, canteens and other eateries.
Published: August 12, 2026, 8:29 PM IST
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Expired products and cockroaches were found in the kitchenRepresentational image
The Karnataka Health Department’s Food Safety Division continued its inspections of eateries on WednesdayDuring a check at the canteen inside the department headquarters, officials seized expired food products and flagged multiple hygiene issuesAccording to officials, expired food products such as idli rava and coconut powder were found in the kitchen of the Arogya Soudha canteen on Magadi Road.
Food products were also not stored in accordance with FSSAI guidelinesPest control measures had not been carried out, leaving the premises in an unhygienic condition, officials saidOfficials inspected a restaurant run by a private operator inside the Legislators’ House, adjacent to Vidhana Soudha, and found unhygienic conditions.
Cockroaches were found in the kitchen as well, they saidThe Food Safety and Drug Administration department warned that strict legal action would be taken against food business operators found violating food safety regulations.
The department has been conducting such drives as part of special food safety inspections across all zones of Bengaluru Urban District and the Greater Bengaluru Area, covering three-star and five-star hotels to verify compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
3-star, 5-star hotels raided in Bengaluru
The three-day food safety inspection conducted across Bengaluru Urban District and the GBA has brought to light several major violations at three-star and five-star hotels.
A total of 60 three-star and five-star hotels were inspected as part of the operation, with 77 food samples sent to laboratories for analysisOfficials collected samples of items such as chicken, meat, fish, bread, mayonnaise, cooking oils, curd, pulses, chickpeas, coriander, chutneys and marinated products.
The inspections uncovered a range of food safety lapses, from non-compliant labelling and misbranding to expired food being stored at the establishmentsOfficials also found meat, fish and poultry stored improperly, unhygienic handling conditions, fungal growth on vegetables and poor segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.
12-point guidelines mandated
Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has stepped up its food safety drive, issuing a 12-point advisory to hotels, restaurants and other food operatorsThe advisory calls for strict compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and FSSAI rules, with violations likely to invite action.
The circular followed inspections of hotels, restaurants and other food businesses across the stateIt sets out guidelines covering kitchen safety, hygiene among food-handling staff, storage and transport of food, as well as waste management.
Food business operators in Karnataka have been told to maintain clean and hygienic premises and ensure that utensils, equipment and food-contact surfaces are cleaned regularlyThe department has also asked food handlers to wear clean uniforms, headgear and gloves while maintaining good personal hygiene.
According to the advisory, food operators should use quality raw materials and keep ingredients in clean and hygienic storage areasAny expired or poor-quality ingredients should be thrown out, and food products must be labelled and stored properly.
