A luxury hotel is usually associated with premium food, spotless kitchens and strict hygiene standards. But a recent food safety inspection drive in Bengaluru has raised serious questions about food storage and handling practices at several high-end hotels.Read more - After ethanol in petrol, it’s now Bio-CNG’s turn: Govt’s Rs 23,731 crore push could change what powers your CNG car in the years aheadAccording to an ANI report, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) found several alleged food safety violations during surprise inspections at 26 hotels across the city. Officials reportedly seized expired food, meat, fish, vegetables and bakery products, while also flagging issues related to food labelling, storage and segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items.— ANI (@ANI) FDA food safety raid in Bengaluru hotelsThe inspections reportedly uncovered a range of food safety concerns, including expired food products, unhygienic storage conditions, fungal growth on vegetables and improper food segregation.Read more - Humans built cities, fought wars & watched empires disappear while one tree kept growing: Over 5,000 years old, the world’s oldest tree Methuselah was discovered like thisOfficials also found instances of non-compliance with FSSAI labelling requirements, along with improper labelling and alleged misbranding of food products.The FDA has issued notices to the concerned Food Business Operators (FBOs). According to the report, adjudication proceedings will be initiated under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.Which Bengaluru hotels were inspected?The FDA reportedly identified food safety violations at several well-known 3-star and 5-star hotels in Bengaluru. The seized items included meat, fish, vegetables, milk and expired food products. Here’s a look at what authorities found, according to a TOI report.The Lalit Ashok, BengaluruOfficials reportedly seized 32 litres of expired milk, along with 76 kg of meat and 200 kg of vegetables during the inspection.Shangri-La BengaluruThe inspection reportedly resulted in the seizure of 15 kg of meat.Four Seasons Hotel BengaluruOfficials reportedly seized 19 kg of meat during the inspection.Vivanta Bengaluru WhitefieldThe FDA reportedly found and seized 3 kg of expired bakery products.Taj YeshwantpurOfficials reportedly seized 72 kg of meat and fish.Radisson Blu The AtriumThe hotel reportedly had 105 kg of expired food articles, including 50 kg of chicken, 25 kg of meat, 23 kg of fish and 7 kg of vegetables.What food safety violations did FDA find?The inspection drive reportedly uncovered several types of violations rather than a single issue.These included:Storage of expired food productsUnhygienic food handling and storageImproper labellingAlleged misbranding of food productsNon-compliance with FSSAI labelling requirementsInadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian foodSpoiled or deteriorated vegetablesFood products showing signs of fungal growthThe findings highlight why proper food storage, labelling, temperature control and segregation are important even in commercial kitchens operating inside premium hotels.What food samples were collected?The FDA teams reportedly collected samples of several food products for laboratory testing.These included tea powder, chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, chilli powder, turmeric powder, tomato sauce, lemon juice, cheese, papad, cashew nuts, ginger, pepper powder, spice powder and milk, among other items.According to the report, 35 food samples have been sent to laboratories for testing.Why did FDA launch the hotel inspections?The surprise inspection drive was reportedly launched following directions from Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader.The action came after several complaints from members of the public, including complaints shared on social media, alleging unhygienic practices and the sale of substandard food at eateries.The department has reportedly constituted 30 special teams to carry out surprise inspections.Inputs from TOI