KFC Storage Sealed in Mangaluru as Karnataka Intensifies Food Safety Checks

A KFC outlet in Mangaluru, Karnataka, came under the scanner after food safety officials conducted a surprise inspection following a customer complaint alleging that stale chicken had been sold. The customer, who ordered Chicken Peri Peri Legs online, reported that the food appeared to be stale and had an unpleasant odour.

During the inspection, officials from the Food Safety Department examined the outlet's kitchen, store room, cold storage facilities, deep freezer and fried chicken stock. Authorities sealed the outlet's godown, or storage area, and collected chicken samples for laboratory testing. Officials said further action would be taken based on the findings of the laboratory report.

The action at the Mangaluru KFC outlet is part of a broader series of inspections being carried out by the Food Safety Department across Karnataka. These checks aim to assess compliance with hygiene and food safety standards at restaurants, hotels, resorts and other food establishments.

In Mysuru city and district, food safety officials seized 9 kg of expired chicken from Rio Meridian Hotel, 68 kg of meat from Grand Mercure Hotel and 4 kg of mushrooms from Q Star Hotel. Authorities said investigations into these establishments were continuing.

Separately, the Health Department conducted inspection drives at resorts in Mysuru and Nanjangud taluks. A total of three resorts were inspected and three notices were issued. Officials collected five food samples, including two legal samples and three survey samples. During the drive, 16 kg of expired and perishable food items were seized and discarded.

In a related development, an inspection at a private hospital in Bengaluru found expired raw materials stored in the kitchen. According to the Health Department, expired rava, icing sugar, maida and bakery products were found in containers. Additionally, four packets of mixture and nine packets of pani puri were found past their expiry date. The food safety team also recovered stale bread, two plastic chopper boards, five packets of methi leaves, six packets of fried gram weighing 30 kg each, one packet of green peas weighing 30 kg, and five packets of moong dal weighing 30 kg each.

Last week, inspections at several luxury hotels and resorts in Bengaluru, including Four Seasons and Shangri-La, uncovered a number of food safety violations. Officials reported finding expired milk and rotten meat during these inspections, prompting the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department to initiate legal proceedings against the establishments concerned.

Food safety regulations in India are governed by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which requires food business operators to maintain proper hygiene and quality standards. Violations can lead to fines, suspension of licences or legal action. The current inspections underscore the authorities' focus on enforcing compliance across the state.

While the laboratory reports for the samples collected from the KFC outlet are awaited, the incident highlights the importance of regular inspections. Officials have urged consumers to report food quality issues, and emphasised that action would be taken against any establishment found violating safety norms.