FDA Seizes Kitchen at Bengaluru's Chairman's Club Over Food Safety Violations

Food safety officials closed and seized a kitchen at Chairman's Club in Bengaluru.

BENGALURU: Expired food on the shelves, a filthy kitchen and serious food safety lapses — the latest FDA raid has exposed a disturbing picture inside Chairman’s Club-one of the elite clubs in Bengaluru. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA), which has been carrying out back-to-back inspections across Karnataka, on Thursday late evening sealed the kitchen of Chairman’s Club in Sahakaranagar (Dollars’ Colony) after uncovering a string of violations. Acting on the directions of health and family welfare minister U T Khader, the department’s Food Safety Wing found 40kg of expired chilli stored as a food product during the inspection. Officials also found five kg of bread crumbs and two kg of Sajeera products without labels conforming to FSSAI regulations. The inspection team was also alarmed by the condition of the kitchen and storage areas, which were found to be highly unhygienic. Officials detected the use or storage of unauthorised/prohibited artificial colours and found that prescribed food safety measures for storage and handling were not being followed. Adding to the violations, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food products were allegedly being stored together. With expired products seized and serious deficiencies recorded, officials shut and seized the club kitchen and initiated legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and related rules. The action is the latest in an intensifying statewide food safety crackdown, with FDA teams conducting successive inspections of food establishments and stepping up action against violations. The department has warned that establishments found compromising food safety and hygiene standards will face stringent legal action.