Food safety authorities in Bengaluru have intensified inspections at several high-profile private clubs, examining their kitchens and food-handling areas to determine whether they are adhering to prescribed hygiene and safety norms.
Officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) are checking compliance across key areas, including food storage, staff hygiene, kitchen cleanliness and product labelling.
The inspections have covered a number of exclusive clubs frequented by some of the city’s wealthiest and most influential residents. Membership charges at several of these establishments reportedly run into lakhs of rupees.
The clubs inspected include Century Club, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Club, Race Course Club, Bowring Club, Catholic Club, Badminton Club, Tennis Club, Vijayanagara Club, Mahalakshmi Layout Club and Malleshwaram Club.
At Bowring Club, inspectors reportedly discovered cockroaches on the floor, inside containers and cartons, among other locations.
The inspection at the KSCA Club also revealed multiple shortcomings related to food safety and hygiene. Officials said food handlers were not adhering to proper personal hygiene practices, while plastic cutting boards were being used in the kitchen.
Inspectors also found a clogged drainage system and an unhygienic frozen-storage facility.
Several food products were also found to be in violation of labelling norms. A packet of K Shakti Toor Dal, for instance, reportedly lacked information such as the packing date, batch number and maximum retail price.
Authorities also raised concerns over the manner in which vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was stored, stating that the two categories were not being kept separately. Tilapia fish was also found without the mandatory labelling information.
The area designated for washing utensils was found to be unhygienic, and officials noted that hot water was unavailable at the facility.
The Mahalakshmi Layout Club was similarly flagged for hygiene shortcomings. Food Safety Officers said the establishment was failing to maintain the required standards and subsequently issued it a notice.
The inspection drive remains underway, with authorities continuing to document alleged violations.
Bengaluru Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader is scheduled to address the media on Wednesday and provide further details about the inspections.
The latest action follows inspections conducted days earlier at the kitchen of a private hospital in Bengaluru, where officials reportedly found expired raw materials, including icing sugar, flour and bakery products stored in containers.
The inspection also uncovered other expired products, including four packets of mixture and nine packets of pani puri.
The food safety team further seized stale bread and two plastic chopping boards. Officials said they found nine packets of paani puri, five packets of methi leaves, six packets of fried gram weighing around 30 kg, a 30-kg packet of green peas and five packets of moong dal weighing 30 kg each.
Earlier last week, inspections at several luxury hotels in Bengaluru reportedly uncovered expired milk and rotten meat. The findings revealed multiple alleged food safety violations, following which the FDA initiated legal proceedings in certain cases.
