BENGALURU: The Food Safety and Drugs Administration conducted special inspections at food establishments and shops at railway stations, uncovering expired food products, improper storage practices, suspected use of non-permitted colours and unhygienic handling of food on Thursday.
Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers inspected 36 railway stations and 112 food establishments across Karnataka. Several deficiencies were detected during the inspections. Officials found samosas stored in cardboard boxes and prepared vadas kept on newspapers. In some establishments, food was being packed in newspapers while being served to consumers. Chutney was stored in plastic buckets that were not suitable for food storage.
Packets of savoury items and chapatis without mandatory labelling details were also found, while some establishments had failed to prominently display their food business registration certificates. Suspected use of non-permitted colours was detected in food products, with yellow colour found in jalebi and pink colour in khoa peda. At a railway station in Haveri district, officials found expired packets of Nandini curd and Dodla standardised milk.
At Mysuru Railway Station, officials found idlis being prepared using plastic material. Fungal growth was also observed on onions and vegetables, while cases involving the sale of expired food articles were detected at some establishments. An unhygienic condition was reported at a hotel food establishment at KR Puram Railway Station in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, the Vande Bharat trains operating between Mangaluru and Kerala and Hubballi and Bengaluru were found to be maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. In a separate enforcement action in Udupi, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration conducted a surprise inspection at shops in Alevoor, Kemthur and Duggilpadavu villages following information about bananas allegedly being ripened using chemicals.
The operation was conducted by Food Safety and Drugs Administration Designated Officer/Sub-Divisional Officer Rashmi on August 20.
During the inspection, officials seized 10,890 kg of bananas suspected to have been chemically ripened, with the seized stock estimated to be worth Rs 8,71,200. The bananas were seized and kept in a godown for further action.