Officials in Koppal district headquarters have imposed a total fine of Rs 2.45 lakh on the owners of 12 hotels due to the use of expired food items and poor hygiene standards. The penalties were levied following inspections conducted by the Food Safety and Drug Administration department during the last week of August this year, which revealed unsanitary conditions including dirty fridges, stale vegetables, and substandard, colored, or expired food products. Cases were registered against the offending establishments after these violations were documented.
The inspections covered numerous establishments, including Malatesh Hotel, Akshay Hotel, Udupi Upahar, G.K.S. Hotel, and Hampi Express Cafe. During the checks, authorities discovered expired bottles of cold drinks, packets of coffee powder, four kilograms of pickles, and bread in several of the hotels. A primary deficiency identified was the lack of cleanliness in the hotel kitchens. It is mandatory for hotels to print the last usable date and manufacturing date on packets before using ingredients for cooking, yet many items found during the inspections lacked these expiry labels.
Additional District Magistrate Sidrameshwara, who holds adjudication powers under the Food Safety and Quality Act, reviewed the complaints and imposed fines ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 on each of the 12 hotels. Investigations also revealed that many hotel owners violated regulations requiring them to inform customers about the sugar and salt content in their dishes. Sidrameshwara warned that if such violations are repeated, the hotel licenses will be cancelled, and stated that strict monitoring will be maintained to ensure owners do not repeat their mistakes.