Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s municipal mobile court conducted surprise inspections at several restaurants and bars located in Bansal One Mall and found alleged violations of food safety and hygiene lapses.
Municipal Magistrate Tarunendra Pratap Singh led the inspection drive with officials from the Food Safety Department. The team examined kitchens, refrigerators, storage areas and food items being served at the establishments.
Fungus-laced food found
During the inspection, officials allegedly found fungus-laced food at Ivory Restaurant and Flying Saucer.
Expired cold drinks were also recovered from some of the establishments. The inspection team collected samples of food items and beverages for further examination.
Officials also found vegetarian and non-vegetarian food stored together inside refrigerators. The team said such storage practices could lead to cross-contamination and pose a risk to customers.
The kitchens at some establishments were found to be dirty and poorly maintained. Officials pulled up the restaurant staff and directed them to follow food safety and cleanliness standards strictly.
Staff members were also instructed to store vegetarian and non-vegetarian food separately and regularly check the expiry dates of packaged products and beverages.
The municipal mobile court imposed fines on several restaurants and bars for violating civic and food safety regulations.
According to officials, the court collected nearly ₹1 lakh in penalties during the inspection drive.
The action was carried out as part of the civic body’s efforts to ensure that restaurants and bars serve safe and hygienic food to customers.
Officials warned the establishments against repeating the violations and said stricter action could be taken if similar irregularities were found during future inspections.
The authorities are expected to take further action based on the laboratory reports of the collected food and beverage samples. The inspection drive may also be extended to other commercial establishments in the city.
