An inspection by the Food Safety Department on Thursday revealed unhygienic conditions in the government canteen located within the Karnataka Legislative Assembly after a large number of cockroaches were found in the canteen at Vikasa Soudha. Vikasa Soudha houses the offices of ministers and numerous IAS officers, and a large number of government employees dine at these canteens. During the inspection, cockroaches were seen across plates of food and further investigation into the matter is underway.
Substandard food quality and poor hygiene in canteen
During the inspection, the Health Department also found substandard food quality and poor hygiene at an establishment inspected at the Legislators' House.
The Food Safety Department’s inspections also show that the government is paying no attention to food establishments operating within government buildings, including premises used by ministers, IAS officers and MLAs.
The inspection comes a day after the Health Department found violations at a canteen functioning inside its own headquarters at Arogya Soudha, which houses the state Health Department headquarters.
Food products crossed their expiry dates
During the inspection, the department officials found that the Arogya Soudha canteen was not being maintained in hygienic conditions and that some food products had crossed their expiry dates and the expired items included idli rava and coconut powder.
Apart from this, the inspection team also found that food products were not being stored in accordance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India guidelines and found that the required pest-control measures were not carried out properly.
It is noteworthy that 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.
60 star hotels in Bengaluru were inspected recently
The development comes at a time after 60 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru Urban District were inspected, and 77 food samples were collected and sent to food laboratories for analysis. Moreover, the inspection from the Food Safety Department comed amid a statewide crackdown on food establishments, hotels, restaurants, and dark stores across Karnataka.
On Wednesday, officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration department stated that its officials had conducted a special inspection at a food and grocery supply warehouse serving major hotels and restaurants in the city.
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