Bengaluru, Sep 23 The Karnataka Government will expand its food-safety initiatives to street-food vendors, with greater focus on hygiene, awareness and safe food-handling practices, Minister U T Khader said on Wednesday.
He announced that Karnataka plans to host a national-level conclave of Food Safety Officers and Commissioners in October, bringing together officials from different states to discuss ways to strengthen the country’s food-safety framework.
Addressing an interactive session on food safety organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) here, the state Health minister said that after strengthening food-safety enforcement across hotels, restaurants and other establishments, the government would now focus on creating greater awareness among street-food vendors.
“The initiative will cover hygiene during food preparation and serving, cleanliness, safe handling of ingredients and responsible use of cooking oil,” he said.
According to a statement issued by BCIC, Khader said street-food vendors cater to a significant section of the population and are an important part of the food ecosystem.
Noting that food safety could not be achieved through inspections alone, the minister said greater education and awareness among vendors, food handlers, businesses and consumers were equally critical to improving standards.
Karnataka has intensified food-safety inspections across the state in recent weeks, with the government stating that the objective is to protect public health and improve compliance rather than disrupt legitimate businesses.
Khader said establishments were expected to follow prescribed standards relating to purity, quality, hygiene and food handling.
He highlighted the need to address the repeated reuse of cooking oil by food establishments and said the government was exploring mechanisms to collect used cooking oil and divert it for alternative uses instead of allowing it to be repeatedly used for cooking.
According to him, one option being explored is collaboration with biodiesel companies, which can procure used cooking oil from hotels and other food establishments and use it as raw material for biodiesel production. Such a mechanism could provide establishments with an alternative disposal channel while discouraging unsafe reuse of cooking oil.
Khader emphasised that strengthening food safety required coordinated action by government agencies, businesses, street vendors and consumers. Alongside enforcement, sustained awareness and practical education would be essential to building a stronger food-safety culture across Karnataka.
Welcoming the government’s continued focus on food safety, CA K Ravi, President, BCIC, said industry and government needed to work together to strengthen standards and build greater consumer confidence.
“Food safety is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is a fundamental pillar of public health, consumer confidence and economic development. Government-industry collaboration is essential to ensure the well-being of citizens and strengthen food-safety standards across the sector,” Ravi said.
BCIC expressed its intent to join hands with the Karnataka Government in taking forward the food-safety initiatives suggested by the Minister through industry participation, awareness-building and collaborative programmes.
V Pasupathy, National Advisor, Federation of Hotels & Restaurant Associations of India and a National Award recipient for Food Safety, said responsibility for food safety must extend beyond kitchen operations and involve senior management.
“Food safety is not merely a kitchen responsibility; it is a management responsibility. In the last 90 days, across the country, 11,216 food-safety raids have resulted in 172 suspension notices, 519 criminal cases and 926 improvement notices with fines,” Pasupathy said.
He said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) assesses hotels on 51 questions carrying 126 marks, while 44 marks directly concern the owner and general manager, highlighting the importance of leadership oversight.
Pasupathy pointed out that 46 per cent of recent suspension notices were related to raw-material management.
(PTI News)
