Expired food found at railway eateries across Karnataka

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 employ of non-permitted colours and unhygienic handling of food on Thursday.

Key points

• The operation was conducted by Food Safety and Drugs Administration Designated Officer/Sub-Divisional Officer Rashmi on August 20.
• During the inspection, authorities seized 10, 890 kg of bananas suspected to have been chemically ripened, with the seized stock estimated to be worth Rs 8, 71, 200.
• Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers inspected 36 railway stations and 112 food establishments throughout Karnataka.
• The Vande Bharat trains operating between Mangaluru and Kerala and Hubballi and Bengaluru were discovered to be maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
• While some establishments had failed to prominently display their food business registration certificates, packets of savoury items and chapatis without mandatory labelling details were additionally identified.

Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers inspected 36 railway stations and 112 food establishments throughout Karnataka. A number of deficiencies were detected during the inspections. Authorities identified 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.

While some establishments had failed to prominently display their food business registration certificates, packets of savoury items and chapatis without mandatory labelling details were additionally identified. Suspected employ of non-permitted colours was detected in food products, with yellow colour identified in jalebi and pink colour in khoa peda. At a railway station in Haveri district, authorities identified expired packets of Nandini curd and Dodla standardised milk.

At Mysuru Railway Station, authorities identified idlis being prepared using plastic material. While cases involving the sale of expired food articles were detected at some establishments, fungal expansion was additionally observed on onions and vegetables. An unhygienic condition was documented 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 discovered 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 after information concerning bananas allegedly being ripened using chemicals.

For context, the operation was conducted by Food Safety and Drugs Administration Designated Officer/Sub-Divisional Officer Rashmi on August 20.

During the inspection, authorities 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.

Taken together, the developments around expired food found at railway eateries across Karnataka point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.