Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Expired Food, Fungal Vegetables Found at Bengaluru's Star Hotels
Health inspectors in Bengaluru checked 26 fancy three-star and five-star hotels to make sure the food they serve is clean and safe to eat.
The checks happened on Friday, August 7.
They found expired food, rotten meat and even mouldy vegetables at some of the city's most expensive hotels.
They also saw messy kitchens, food stored in dirty or unsafe ways, and food packets with wrong labels.
The inspectors collected 35 samples of food, like chicken, fish, milk, spices and cheese, to test in a laboratory.
They took away and destroyed food that was expired or unsafe to eat, including a huge 105 kg of bad food found at one hotel.
The checks were ordered by Karnataka's Health Minister U.T. Khader after people complained about bad food, including on social media.
The hotels were given official notices and could face legal action if they broke the food safety rules.
One hotel, The Lalit Ashok, said its meat was frozen, not spoiled, and that it had already planned to remove the milk that was past its date.
Karnataka's Food Safety Wing deployed 30 teams of Food Safety Officers to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels across Bengaluru Urban district, covering all BBMP zones.
Officials collected 35 food samples — including chicken, mutton, fish, milk, edible oil, spices, tea powder and cheese — for laboratory analysis.
Violations found included expired food, fungal growth on vegetables, unhygienic kitchens and storage, misbranding and FSSAI labelling non-compliance.
The largest seizure was 105 kg of expired food at Radisson Blu (The Atria); at The Lalit Ashok, 76 kg of meat, 200 kg of vegetables and 32 litres of milk were seized.
Notices were issued to Food Business Operators, with adjudication proceedings planned under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; Health Minister U.T. Khader ordered the drive after public complaints.
- Who
- Karnataka's Food Safety Wing of the Health and Family Welfare Department (Food Safety and Drug Administration Department), acting on the directions of Health Minister U.T. Khader, with 30 teams of Food Safety Officers.
- What
- A special inspection of 26 three-star and five-star hotels that uncovered expired food, fungal growth on vegetables, unhygienic kitchens and storage, misbranding and FSSAI labelling violations; 35 food samples were sent for lab analysis and large quantities of food were seized and destroyed.
- When
- Friday, August 7 (2026).
- Where
- 26 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru Urban district, Karnataka, covering all Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) zones.
- Why
- To verify compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 following a rise in public complaints — including on social media — about poor food quality, hygiene and food safety violations.
Hotel's Defense
Food Safety Department's Findings
Seized items at The Lalit Ashok
Hotel's Defense
The Lalit Ashok said the meat and frozen items were frozen, not spoiled, and that the issues were about storage and segregation rather than food being unfit for consumption; the milk was one day past its 'Best Before' date, had already been identified for withdrawal, and was not intended to be served to guests.
Food Safety Department's Findings
Food Safety officials said the seized items — 76 kg of meat, 200 kg of vegetables and 32 litres of expired milk at The Lalit Ashok (Annex South) — were expired or unsafe for consumption, and issued notices with plans for legal action.
- Inspecting agency
- Food Safety Wing of the Health and Family Welfare Department (Food Safety and Drug Administration Department), Karnataka
- Hotels inspected
- 26 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru Urban district
- Inspection teams
- 30 teams of Food Safety Officers covering all BBMP zones
- Food samples collected
- 35, sent to the Food Laboratory for analysis
- Radisson Blu (The Atria)
- 105 kg of expired food seized (50 kg chicken, 25 kg meat, 23 kg fish, 7 kg vegetables)
- The Lalit Ashok (Annex South)
- 76 kg meat, 200 kg vegetables and 32 litres of milk seized; hotel disputed findings, saying items were frozen and not spoiled
- Other seizures
- Taj Yeshwantpur 72 kg meat/fish; Shangri-La Bengaluru 15 kg meat; Vivanta Bengaluru Whitefield 3 kg expired bakery products; Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru 19 kg meat (one report says 10 kg)
- Legal action
- Notices issued to Food Business Operators; adjudication proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to be initiated
Sources
Karnataka raids 26 Bengaluru hotels: Expired meat, vegetables with fungus found
Bengaluru Food Safety Crackdown: 26 Premium Hotels Inspected, Expired Food & Hygiene Violations Found
Expired Food, Fungal Vegetables: Bengaluru's 3-Star, 5-Star Hotels Face Food Safety Action
Inspection Detect's Fungal Growth On Vegetables Stored In Star Hotels Of Bengaluru, Notices Served
From Taj To Radisson, Expired Milk, Rotten Meat Found In Top Bengaluru 5-Stars
