FSDA inspects 112 catering units, seizing expired Nandini and Dodla milk packets alongside synthetic-dyed sweets, while Vande Bharat pantries pass.
A major coordinated food safety surveillance drive conducted by the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration (KFSDA) across 36 railway stations uncovered widespread statutory violations, including the sale of expired dairy products, suspected non-permitted synthetic dyes, and severe hygiene deficiencies. The statewide inspection covered 112 commercial food establishments—including platform food stalls, railway canteens, station hotels, and train pantry cars—across key transport junctions such as Bengaluru (KSR), Yeshwanthpura, KR Puram, Mysuru, Hubballi, Haveri, Udupi, and Mangaluru.
The inspection highlighted critical non-compliance in fresh dairy handling and storage across regional passenger hubs. In Haveri district, food safety inspectors discovered and seized expired packets of Nandini curd (marketed by the Karnataka Milk Federation) and Dodla standardised milk being kept for active commercial use and retail sale. The discovery of out-of-date fluid milk and fermented dairy underscores recurring vulnerabilities in refrigeration maintenance and stock-rotation discipline within high-traffic public transit catering.
Beyond liquid dairy violations, regulatory officials identified extensive adulteration in traditional milk-based confectionery and snacks. Inspectors flagged the suspected deployment of non-permitted chemical colorants in khoa peda (using unauthorized pink industrial dyes) and jalebis (using unauthorized yellow pigments). Furthermore, severe sanitary infractions were documented across multiple stations: at Mysuru Railway Station, vendors were found preparing idlis using hazardous plastic sheets and storing expired ingredients, while other outlets stored prepared condiments in non-food-grade plastic buckets and utilized mold-contaminated vegetables.
In contrast to platform-level violations, onboard catering facilities on premium services met prescribed safety standards. Inspections conducted aboard Vande Bharat Express services operating on the Hubballi–Bengaluru and Mangaluru–Kerala routes confirmed clean, hygienic pantry cars and compliant food storage protocols. The South Western Railway (SWR) stated that comprehensive monitoring is maintained across 428 licensed catering units, noting that formal notices and legal proceedings are being initiated against third-party vendors violating Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms.
The enforcement operation aligns with a broader regulatory crackdown across southern India aimed at purging adulterated dairy fats, synthetic analogues, and expired perishable foods from high-volume transit and commercial channels. With state authorities expanding random sampling protocols and rolling out direct QR-code reporting mechanisms for consumers, the findings reinforce the necessity for rigorous cold-chain compliance, tamper-evident expiry labeling, and strict ingredient traceability across railway food ecosystems.
Source: India Today / The Economic Times
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