Amid intensified food safety inspections across the state, the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Karnataka, has issued a comprehensive 12-point advisory directing hotels, restaurants, catering units and other food business operators to strengthen compliance with food safety and hygiene standards under the Food Safety and Standards Act and FSSAI regulations.
The advisory, issued on August 11, focuses on key operational areas including food handling, storage, transportation, waste management, employee hygiene and infrastructure maintenance.
Under the guidelines, establishments have been instructed to maintain hygienic premises, regularly sanitise food-contact surfaces and ensure food handlers wear clean uniforms, gloves and headgear. Operators have also been directed to use quality raw materials, discard expired ingredients and maintain proper labelling and storage practices.
The advisory emphasises temperature control and cross-contamination prevention, requiring hot food to be maintained above 60°C, refrigerated food below 4°C, and frozen food below –18°C. Separate utensils and storage containers must be used for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food preparation.
A key requirement is the appointment of a FoSTaC-certified Food Safety Supervisor, while all food handlers must undergo periodic health check-ups. Employees suffering from illness have been barred from handling food.
The department has also mandated the use of potable water for cooking and cleaning, regular cleaning and testing of water tanks, pest-control measures, covered waste bins and disposal of waste only through authorised agencies.
Other provisions include displaying allergen information, providing nutritional details where applicable, preventing fungal contamination and ensuring used cooking oil is not reused and is disposed of through authorised channels.
The advisory comes at a time when food safety compliance has come under increased scrutiny across the hospitality sector following a series of inspections and enforcement actions in several states.
The department warned that violations could attract penalties, licence suspension or closure under the Food Safety and Standards Act, underscoring the growing regulatory focus on food safety standards and operational accountability across the hospitality industry.
