Expired chicken, 68 kg meat seized at Mysuru hotels; KFC raided in Mangaluru

Karnataka is stepping up checks at hotels, restaurants and other food outlets and inspectors are finding plenty to worry about.

More than 1,000 kg of unsafe food items have been seized in recent inspections across the state. The crackdown has uncovered expired food, rotten vegetables, fungal contamination and poor meat-storage practices. The latest inspections were carried out in Mysuru on August 15.

Mysuru hotels under scanner

At the Rio Meridian Hotel, food safety officials seized 9 kg of chicken after finding that it had crossed its expiry date. In Grand Mercure Hotel, officials seized 68 kg of meat. Another 4 kg of mushrooms were confiscated from Q Star Hotel.

Inspections at three resorts in Mysuru and Nanjangud taluks resulted in three notices being issued. Officials also collected five food samples for laboratory testing. Two were legal samples, and three were survey samples.

Around 16 kg of expired and perishable food was discarded during the inspections.

KFC outlet checked after complaint

The crackdown has also reached Mangaluru. Food safety officials conducted a surprise inspection at a KFC outlet at City Centre on K.S. Rao Road after a customer complained about a Chicken Peri Peri Leg ordered online.

The customer alleged that the food tasted stale and was unfit for consumption.Officials checked the outlet's kitchen, storage areas, cold rooms, freezers and cooked food stocks.

In a statement to Business Today, KFC said, "As a responsible brand, KFC is firmly committed to providing high levels of food safety, quality and hygiene. The information circulating doesn’t depict the true facts. We source high-quality chicken from reputed suppliers across the country and actively comply with FSSAI guidelines, along with certain global quality standards, to serve quality food to our customers."

"The chicken we serve and store is as per norms and is prepared in-store every day, and each piece undergoes multiple stringent quality and safety checks from the suppliers’ farm to the consumers’ plate. We’re fully cooperating with the concerned authorities and are reviewing the matter in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Any customer who wishes to know more about KFC’s strict kitchen procedures and safety protocols can contact the restaurant manager for a kitchen tour," the statement added.

Bengaluru hotels also face checks

The inspections have been taking place across Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mangaluru. Officials said checks at three-star and five-star hotels found expired food products, rotten vegetables, fungal contamination and improper meat storage.

In Bengaluru Urban district alone, food safety teams recently inspected 60 three-star and five-star hotels and collected 77 food samples for laboratory testing.

The inspections have also covered food outlets inside government complexes such as Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha and Arogya Soudha. Some of these facilities were found to have unhygienic food-handling practices, inadequate pest control and expired ingredients.

The food safety drive has not been limited to hotels and restaurants. Quick-commerce storage centres and community feeding facilities, including some Indira Canteens, were inspected. Some establishments received notices, while others faced closure orders over sanitation deficiencies.

The campaign is aimed at enforcing the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related licensing rules. Food businesses have been told to maintain proper temperature control, sanitation, and waste-disposal systems.