FSDAD Seizes 1049 kg Unsafe Food, Shuts UB City Kitchen in Bengaluru Drive

The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FSDAD) has seized 1,049 kg of unsafe food articles and ordered the closure of kitchens at Hotel Skyye in UB City and Pegs & Bottles following a major enforcement operation across Bengaluru. The action comes as the department expands its city-wide inspection drive to include cosmetics products such as lipsticks.

The food safety crackdown was carried out from August 7 to August 9 by 30 dedicated department teams. Inspectors visited 60 three-star and five-star hotels located across Bengaluru Urban and the Greater Bengaluru Area. During the three-day drive, officials collected 77 food samples for mandatory laboratory testing, covering items such as meat, fish, chicken, bread, mayonnaise, cooking oil, curd, pulses, chutneys, and marinated products.

During the inspections, department officials uncovered multiple hygiene and compliance violations in commercial kitchens. Problems identified included expired and mislabelled food articles, unhygienic kitchen premises, mould-affected vegetables, and improper storage practices for meat and poultry. Inspectors also cited establishments for failing to properly separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, as well as for violations concerning artificial food colours.

The enforcement drive extended beyond luxury hotels to encompass popular fast-food chains and their supplying warehouses, including KFC, Subway, and McDonald's. At the McDonald's outlet on Brigade Road, inspectors discovered magnesium sulfite being used to treat used frying oil, prompting the department to issue a formal notice to the facility. Enforcement action was also taken against Hotel Skyye at UB City and Pegs & Bottles, where kitchens were seized or closed down. FSDAD confirmed that notices have been served to all violators and declared that strict enforcement operations will continue.

Following the initial food safety inspections, FSDAD turned its focus toward cosmetics after receiving direct instructions from the Health Minister. As part of the ongoing drive, drug inspectors collected nine legal cosmetic samples for official scrutiny. Additionally, the Assistant Drugs Controller collected five legal samples and eight informal samples of cosmetics, including lipsticks, to undergo testing.