Food safety officials collect 70 samples for laboratory testing; action initiated over expired ingredients, labelling deficiencies and unhygienic manufacturing conditions.
Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has inspected 45 ice cream manufacturing units across the state, collected 70 food samples for laboratory analysis and seized expired products during a special inspection drive conducted on October 8.
The drive was carried out under the directions of Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the associated rules and regulations, according to an official release.
The samples collected included ice cream, milk, milk powder, flavouring substances, sugar, food additives and other raw materials. These have been sent to government food laboratories to assess their quality and compliance with prescribed food safety standards.
During the inspections, officials seized expired products from Savara Ice Cream Cafe in Jayanagar 3rd Block and M N Enterprises in Bilekahalli, both located in Bengaluru’s southern zone.
At Savara Ice Cream Cafe, the seized products included expired biscuits, milk, alkalised tea and coffee mixes, and desiccated coconut powder. At M N Enterprises, officials confiscated expired plain caramel, milkmaid and khoa. The latter establishment was also found to have deficiencies in mandatory labelling requirements.
In another case, officials observed unhygienic conditions at Gemini Ice Cream Manufacturing Unit in Raichur and issued a notice to the establishment.
At John Candy Ice Cream Manufacturing Unit in Mysuru, inspectors detected labelling deficiencies and seized ice cream products worth ₹20,000.
The department said further legal action would be initiated against the establishments concerned under the Food Safety and Standards Act and applicable regulations.
It added that special inspections of ice cream manufacturing units would continue across Karnataka to safeguard public health, with action to be taken against businesses found violating food safety requirements.
The inspection drive comes amid heightened scrutiny of food manufacturing and handling practices, with the quality of ingredients, storage conditions, hygiene and accurate labelling remaining critical to ensuring consumer safety.