Karnataka health minister reviews food safety measures, directs hotels to strengthen hygiene standards

Bengaluru: Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Food Safety & Drug Administration, UT Khader , held a meeting with the Karnataka State Hotel Association and its representatives in Bengaluru on Friday to discuss measures to safeguard public health and uphold hygiene and food safety standards across the state.

The meeting followed continuous and intensive inspections conducted by Food Safety Officers at hotels and restaurants across the state over the past month. Several serious lapses were identified during these inspections, necessitating immediate corrective measures and clear directions for the hotel industry.

PC Rao, President of the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association, who attended the meeting, told DH that the association had also requested an experience centre for hoteliers. “The experience centre can provide the right opportunity for hoteliers to understand all the rules and regulations of the Food Safety Department,” said Rao.

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Key directions

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Priority to food hygiene and quality: Stringent hygiene and food safety measures must be implemented at every level, from star hotels to small eateries.

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Scientific storage facilities: Every hotel and restaurant must have a scientifically designed storage room to ensure the safe and hygienic storage of food items and ingredients.

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CCTV surveillance in hotel kitchens: Hotels have been advised to install CCTV cameras in their kitchens to enhance transparency and strengthen customer confidence. Kitchens must be maintained in a clean, hygienic and transparent manner.

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Mandatory manufacturing and expiry dates: The manufacturing and expiry dates must be clearly mentioned on every food item and ingredient used in food preparation.

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Quality ingredients and regulation of chemical usage: In view of concerns regarding health problems associated with the use of chemical substances in food preparation, including cardiac ailments, intestinal disorders and high blood pressure, all ingredients and materials used for food preparation must be of high quality. The use of chemicals must be restricted, and strict measures must be taken to ensure compliance with food safety standards.

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QR code system and customer feedback: The Hotel Association submitted a request to enhance the existing QR code system, which is currently available for customers to submit complaints. Under the proposed system, customers would also be able to rate hotel hygiene and food quality under three categories — good, average or poor.

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Training for hotel staff: Hotel managements were instructed to provide appropriate training to their staff to ensure proper food safety, hygiene and safe food-handling practices.

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Complaint mechanism: If adulteration or poor-quality raw materials are found in ingredients or materials supplied for food preparation, members of the public as well as hotel owners may directly lodge complaints with the concerned authorities or the department.