Rotten meat, vegetables, fungus found during Bengaluru 5-star hotel raids
What's the story
A food safety inspection in Bengaluru has exposed several violations at upscale hotels. The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected 26 three-star and five-star hotels on August 7. The inspections were conducted by 30 teams of food safety officers across all zones under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. The inspections revealed unsanitary conditions in kitchens and food storage areas, with expired milk, rotten meat, and fungal growth on vegetables found.
Food confiscation
Major food seizures across 5-star hotels
Some hotels were also found mixing vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods, violating mandatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India labeling rules.
The inspections led to major food seizures across several five-star hotels.
At The Lalit Ashok (Annex South), officials seized 76kg of meat and 200kg of vegetables, along with 32 liters of expired milk.
Shangri-La Bengaluru had 15kg of meat seized, while Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru had a seizure of 19kg of meat.
Major seizure
Largest seizure reported at the Radisson Blu (The Atria)
The largest seizure was reported at The Radisson Blu (The Atria), where officials confiscated 105kg of expired food products.
A total of 35 food samples were collected during the drive for laboratory analysis.
The samples included chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, milk, spices, tea powder, cheese, and lemon juice, among other food items.
Authorities said the samples have been sent to laboratories for detailed analysis, and further action will depend on the results.
Legal proceedings
Notices issued to hotels over violations
The department has issued notices to the hotels over these violations. Further action will depend on laboratory reports and applicable legal provisions.
The Bengaluru inspections come after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration's crackdown on eateries over food safety lapses.
Recently, several restaurants and clubs in Mumbai had their food licenses suspended after inspections found pests, expired food, and other issues.