Brands
Bengaluru food safety drive flags violations at KFC, McDonald’s, Subway outlets
Three-day drive covers 60 hotels and QSRs, with 77 samples collected and large quantities of non-compliant food seized
MUMBAI: Global quick-service restaurant chains KFC, McDonald’s and Subway have come under the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration’s (KFSDA) food safety inspection drive in Bengaluru, with officials collecting samples from outlets and their supplying warehouses.
The inspections, conducted between August 7 and 9, covered outlets and supply chains of the international food chains, with samples of mayonnaise, chicken, bread and other food products collected for laboratory testing. The action formed part of a wider three-day enforcement exercise covering hotels, restaurants and food distribution facilities across Bengaluru.
The department deployed 30 inspection teams during the drive and inspected 60 three-star and five-star hotels across Bengaluru Urban district and the Greater Bengaluru Area. A total of 77 food samples were collected for analysis.
Officials seized 640 kg of mutton, chicken and fish, along with 276 kg of rotten or mould-affected vegetables during the inspections. The seizures also included 45 litres of expired milk and curd, 12 kg of expired bakery products, 67 kg of mislabelled or expired cereals and other food products, and 49 litres of used or non-compliant cooking oil.
The KFSDA flagged several violations, including non-compliant labelling and misbranding, storage of expired food products, improper storage of meat and poultry, unhygienic food preparation areas, fungal growth in vegetables and inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
A McDonald’s outlet on Brigade Road was issued a notice after officials found magnesium sulfite (MgSO3) allegedly being used in connection with the treatment of used frying oil.
The authorities said the matter would be examined under prevailing food safety regulations before any further action is taken.
The crackdown also extended to hospitality establishments. The kitchen at Skyye Lounge in UB City was ordered shut after inspectors allegedly found rotten chicken and beef as well as expired dairy products. Enforcement measures were also taken against Hotel Sky and Pegs & Bottles.
Beyond restaurants and hotels, the KFSDA inspected distribution centres and warehouses supplying food products to establishments across Bengaluru. Officials checked these facilities for compliance with food storage, handling and labelling requirements.
The Bengaluru inspections come amid a broader increase in food safety enforcement across India. Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration recently suspended the food licence of a Blinkit dark store in Mumbai after inspectors reported a cockroach infestation and other food safety and hygiene violations.
Food regulators across several states have stepped up checks of restaurants, hotels, warehouses, retail outlets and quick-commerce facilities as scrutiny of food handling, storage and labelling standards increases.
