Karnataka food safety drive: 960 hostels inspected; shawarma, kebab samples flagged

Following complaints about unhygienic practices and the use of artificial colours, the department tested 41 shawarma and 21 kebab samples. Nine shawarma samples and one kebab sample were declared unsafe.

The department said legal action is being initiated against those responsible. At 331 Social Welfare Department hostels, another 556 samples were collected.

What Happened

Across 186 bus stations, 889 food establishments were inspected. The department inspected 603 Anganwadi centres and collected 549 food samples.

• The department also inspected 629 Backward Classes hostels and collected 1,860 food samples for testing.

• Notices were issued to 206 establishments, while fines totalling ₹55,000 were imposed.

• As part of the initiative, 1,257 Anganwadi centres were provided free registration.

Key Details

The crackdown also covered 99 roadside dhabas along major highway stretches. Officials inspected 236 e-commerce food warehouses, with proceedings initiated against 44 warehouses.

• In addition, 11,370 food business operators were trained under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) Food Safety Training and Certification (FOSTaC) programme.

• Violations were detected and fines amounting to ₹3.67 lakh were imposed.

• Eight warehouses were fined a total of ₹1.97 lakh for unhygienic conditions.

Why It Matters

The department also tested 25 milk and milk-product samples entering Karnataka from Tamil Nadu, of which one was found to be substandard. Inspections were carried out around 124 schools and colleges, resulting in the collection of 53 suspicious food samples for analysis.

• The seized materials included 378 kg of mutton and chicken, 51 kg of additional mutton and chicken, 203 kg of fish, 200 kg of vegetarian food, 76 kg of vegetables, 45 litres of milk.

• During the statewide operation, officials also seized expired, mislabelled, rotten and improperly stored food items.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge