Bengaluru, Aug 28 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Friday held a high-level meeting with office-bearers of the Karnataka State Hotels Association and leading hotel owners to discuss measures to protect public health and maintain food safety and hygiene across the state, officials said.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of state Health and Family Welfare and Food Safety and Drug Administration Minister U T Khader, they said.
Over the past one month, food safety officials have conducted continuous and intensive inspections at hotels and restaurants across Karnataka, during which several deficiencies and violations were found, prompting the government to convene the advisory and review meeting.
According to a statement shared by the health department, Khader directed hotel and restaurant managements to accord top priority to food hygiene and quality, noting that millions of people depend on hotel and restaurant food every day.
He said strict hygiene and food safety measures must be followed at all levels, from star hotels to small eateries, and that hotel managements should not operate solely with the objective of making profits but also demonstrate social responsibility and concern for public health.
The minister instructed hotels and restaurants to have scientifically designed storage rooms for safely storing food items.
He also advised hotels to consider installing CCTV cameras in their kitchens to increase transparency and strengthen customer trust.
Kitchens must be transparent, clean and hygienic, he said.
Khader further directed that every food ingredient and product used must clearly carry the manufacturing date and expiry date.
He said the use of certain chemical substances in food preparation could lead to health problems, including heart-related ailments, intestinal disorders and blood pressure-related issues.
Therefore, all ingredients and materials used in food preparation must be of high quality, while the use of harmful or unnecessary chemicals should be restricted and closely monitored, he said.
The Hotel Management Association requested that the existing QR code-based complaint system be expanded to enable customers to rate hotel hygiene and food quality under three categories — Good, Average and Poor.
The minister said the proposal would be examined.
Hotels were also instructed to provide appropriate training to their staff on food safety and hygiene, including the dos and don’ts to be followed while handling food.
Members of the public and hotel owners can directly approach the concerned authorities or the department if they come across adulteration or poor-quality materials in food ingredients or raw materials, officials said.
Khader said the government was committed to hearing the concerns of the hotel industry and providing necessary guidance, but there would be no compromise on cleanliness, hygiene and food quality.
In a statement, Bengaluru Hoteliers Association President P C Rao said, “We had a good interactive meeting with Health Minister U T Khadar and FDA Commissioner Srinivas K regarding the current inspections of hotels. Our grievances were heard and assured positive response.” He said further there will be training for hoteliers regarding FSSAI regulations for hotel owners very soon. PTI AMP ROH
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