Rotten Vegetables, Expired Milk: Bengaluru 5-Star Hotel Raids Reveal Shocker

Expired milk, rotten meat, fungal growth on vegetables -- these were not seen at some dingy roadside eatery but at some of Bengaluru's poshest hotels and resorts including Taj Yeshwantpur and Shangri-La, among others. Sweeping inspection of some of the city's most prominent luxury hotels has uncovered a series of food safety violations, prompting Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration Department to launch legal proceedings.

The inspection drive targeted premium hospitality establishments across the city, with officials saying the exercise was intended to ensure that even the state's most prestigious hotels comply with food safety regulations and hygiene standards.

Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said the raids were aimed at ensuring that even top-tier hotels comply with food safety norms.

The department deployed 30 teams of Food Safety Officers 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 the regulations framed under it.

As part of the operation, officials collected 35 food samples from different establishments for laboratory testing. The samples included chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, milk, spices, tea powder, cheese, tomato sauce, lemon juice and other food items. Authorities said the samples have been sent to laboratories for detailed analysis, with further action depending on the results.

The inspections revealed a range of alleged violations across multiple hotels. Officials reported unhygienic kitchens and storage areas, expired food products, fungal growth on vegetables, improper food handling practices, the presence of misbranded food products, non-compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) labelling norms, and failures to maintain separate storage facilities for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.

Following the inspections, Food Safety officials issued notices to the concerned Food Business Operators. Officials said proceedings would be initiated against establishments where violations were detected.

The department also seized and destroyed substantial quantities of food that it said was expired or unsafe for consumption.

Which Hotels Were Raided?

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

At Shangri-La Bengaluru, 15 kg of meat were seized.

At Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, officials confiscated 19 kg of meat.

At Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield, three kg of expired bakery products were destroyed.

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

Among the largest recoveries was at Radisson Blu (The Atria), where authorities seized and destroyed 105 kg of expired food articles. The stock included 50 kg of chicken, 25 kg of meat, 23 kg of fish and 7 kg of vegetables.

The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has directed all food business operators to strictly adhere to food safety regulations and maintain the standards prescribed under the law. It warned that stringent legal action would be taken wherever violations are confirmed.