Expired Milk, Rotten Meat Found At Bengaluru’s Luxury Hotels During Food Safety Drive

A citywide food safety inspection drive in Bengaluru has uncovered multiple hygiene and food safety violations at several luxury hotels, including Taj Yeshwantpur and Shangri-La Bengaluru, where officials reportedly found expired milk, rotten meat and fungus-covered vegetables.

The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has initiated legal action against establishments found violating food safety norms, officials said.

26 Hotels Inspected Across Bengaluru

The department deployed 30 Food Safety Officer teams to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels across Bengaluru Urban district. The inspections covered all Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) zones and focused on compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations.

Officials collected 35 samples, including chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, milk, spices, tea powder, cheese, tomato sauce and lemon juice. The samples have been sent to laboratories for testing, with further action to be based on the results.

Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said the inspections were aimed at ensuring strict compliance with food safety standards across hotels, irrespective of their category.

Expired Food And Poor Hygiene Found

Inspectors reported unhygienic kitchens, improper storage, expired food items and fungal growth on vegetables at some establishments.

Officials also flagged improper food handling, misbranded products and violations of FSSAI labelling requirements. In some cases, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items were allegedly not stored separately.

Following the inspections, notices were issued to the concerned Food Business Operators, while unsafe and expired food was seized and destroyed.

Hundreds Of Kilograms Of Food Destroyed

At The Lalit Ashok (Annex South), officials confiscated and destroyed 76 kg of meat, 200 kg of vegetables and 32 litres of expired milk.

At Shangri-La Bengaluru, 15 kg of meat was seized, while 19 kg of meat was confiscated from Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru. Officials also destroyed 3 kg of expired bakery products at Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield.

At Taj Yeshwantpur, officials seized 72 kg of meat and fish.

The largest quantity was recovered from Radisson Blu (The Atria), where authorities destroyed 105 kg of expired food, including chicken, meat, fish and vegetables.

The department has directed all food business operators to comply strictly with food safety regulations and maintain prescribed hygiene standards. Officials warned that legal action would follow wherever violations are established.