Bengaluru: A special food safety inspection conducted by Karnatakaās Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 20 uncovered several violations at railway food establishments across the state, including suspected use of non-permitted colours, expired dairy products, unhygienic food handling and fungal growth on vegetables.
The inspection covered 112 food establishments across 36 railway stations, including railway pantries, railway hotels and food served on trains. The drive was aimed at checking compliance with food safety and hygiene requirements at establishments serving railway passengers.
Suspected Non-Permitted Colours Found in Sweets
Food safety teams reportedly detected suspected use of non-permitted colours in sweets at railway establishments. Yellow colour was suspected in jalebi, while pink colour was found in khova peda.
Officials also discovered expired Nandini curd and Dodla standardised milk packets at a railway station in Haveri district, raising concerns about the storage and sale of dairy products beyond their permitted consumption period.
Unhygienic Food Handling Reported
The inspection also uncovered several hygiene-related violations.
At Krishna Raja Puram Railway Station, officials reportedly found unhygienic conditions at a hotel. At Mysuru Railway Station, inspectors found idlis allegedly being prepared using plastic material, along with expired food products in the kitchen.
The teams also reported fungal growth on onions and other vegetables. Chutney was found stored in plastic buckets that were reportedly unsuitable for food storage.
In another hygiene concern, food items including vadas were reportedly being placed on newspapers, highlighting potential risks associated with inappropriate food-contact materials.
Vande Bharat Services Found Clean
The inspection also covered Vande Bharat Express services operating on the MangaluruāKerala and HubballiāBengaluru routes.
According to the authorities, these trains were found to be clean during the inspection. However, the wider inspection identified violations at other railway food establishments, including suspected non-permitted colours, expired dairy products and poor food-handling practices.
Legal Action Against Violators
The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department said railway authorities and designated officers would be informed about the violations identified during the inspection.
The department also stated that further legal action would be initiated against food business operators found violating prescribed food safety requirements.
South Western Railway Launches 14-Day Drive
Following the inspections, South Western Railway (SWR) said it had already launched an intensive 14-day Special Food Safety Drive across its divisions in line with Railway Board directives.
The drive focuses on several areas, including:
- Food hygiene and cleanliness
- Validity of FSSAI licences
- Expiry dates of food products
- Food storage conditions
- Food preparation and handling practices
- Overall compliance at catering and vending establishments
SWR said its monitoring network covers 428 catering establishments across the Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubballi divisions. These include major and minor catering units, IRCTC-operated units, pantry cars and base kitchens.
More Than 1,200 Inspections Conducted in 2025-26
According to SWR, the Railways conducted 1,243 food safety inspections during 2025-26. During these inspections, authorities issued 129 Improvement Notices and analysed 528 food samples.
Of the samples analysed, 512 were reported as fully compliant, while legal and adjudication action was taken in cases involving unfit samples.
SWR Chief Public Relations Officer Manjunath Kanamadi said the railway authorities would continue taking action against vendors that fail to meet prescribed food safety and hygiene standards.
The latest inspection drive highlights the continued focus on food quality, dairy safety, hygiene, proper storage and regulatory compliance at railway catering establishments across Karnataka.
