10 malls in city to have food testing facilities at food courts

BENGALURU: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken a bold step towards ensuring public health and ensuring everyone has access to quality food in Bengaluru. The agency had launched a drive against unhygienic street food a few months ago.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been raiding hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru. After reports of food quality, items like cotton candy, tomato sauce, flavouring agents and artificial colours have been banned. The FSSAI is now preparing to check quality of food sold at food courts in malls.

The department has set up kiosks for the first-of-its-kind initiative to check food quality. In Bengaluru, people can now test the food quality at the food testing centres. The FSSAI has set up food adulteration detention kiosks in 10 major malls in the initial phase. The quality and contamination of food can be checked at these kiosks.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao launched the rapid testing kits for food inspection at the Mall of Asia and conducted a live test himself.

People can test daily food items like coffee, tea, sugar, cooking oil, tea powder, salt, milk and dairy products like butter, paneer and curd, as well as vegetables and drinking water also. This will help to check adulteration in food.

The FSSAI will take strict action against those selling substandard food items. The minister has also instructed officials to install food testing kits at supermarkets.