New Food Safety Rules: Hotels, Pubs & Restaurants Face Strict Action

Bengaluru’s prestigious star hotels and pubs have recently come under intense scrutiny after expired and unsafe food was found during surprise inspections, raising serious concerns among customers.

In a joint enforcement drive, Food Safety Department officials discovered rotten meat, fungus-infested vegetables, and hundreds of kilograms of expired food items stored in the kitchens of several prominent establishments.

Following these alarming findings, the Karnataka Health Department has introduced stringent new food safety guidelines to protect public health.

Under the new regulations, all non-vegetarian food items must be stored at temperatures below 4°C. Cooked vegetarian food must be maintained at 65°C, while cooked non-vegetarian food must be kept at 70°C. Frozen food must be stored at -18°C or below.

Additionally, any cooked food must be reheated to a minimum temperature of 75°C before being served to customers. The government has also imposed strict restrictions on the reuse of cooking oil. The Total Polar Compounds (TPC) level in reused oil must not exceed 25%.

Raw and cooked food must be stored separately, and dedicated arrangements must be made for handling vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Most importantly, every hotel, pub, and restaurant is now required to prominently display its FSSAI licence where customers can easily see it.

The government has warned that establishments violating these food safety norms will face severe action. In addition to hefty fines, the licences of offending hotels, pubs, and restaurants may be cancelled, and their businesses could be permanently shut down.

The introduction of these strict regulations has sent shockwaves through the hospitality industry, with many hotel, pub, and restaurant owners now rushing to ensure compliance.