Bengaluru

A special inspection conducted by the Food Safety and Drug Administration department of Karnataka at food establishments in 36 railway stations on Thursday revealed the suspected use of non-permitted colours in sweets, expired dairy products and food items, and fungal growth in vegetables.

The inspection was conducted at 112 food establishments at Bengaluru City Railway station (KSR), Yeshwanthpura, Krishna Raja Puram, Yelahanka, Kolar, Mysuru, Haveri, Udupi, Koppal, Gadag, Davanagere, Bagalkote, Karwar, Yadgiri, Berur and Kadur junction, Ballari, Hospet, Hubaballi and Mangaluru, a statement from the food safety department said.

The teams inspected the railway pantry, railway hotel and food served on the train.

The team found that Vande Bharat trains between Mangaluru and Kerala and Hubballi and Bengaluru were maintained clean. There was, however, ‘suspected use’ of non-permitted colours in food products, the statement said.

Yellow colour was found to have been used in Jalebi and pink colour in Khova Peda. Expired curd and standardised milk packets were found at a railway station in Haveri district, it said.

Unhygienic conditions were observed in a hotel at KR Puram Railway Station. At Mysuru Railway Station, idlis were found to be prepared using plastic material and expired food items were also found in the kitchen, the statement added.

The team also noticed fungal growth on onions and vegetables, while Chutney was found to be stored in plastic buckets that were not suitable for food storage.

"The railway authorities and designated officers concerned will be informed regarding the violations observed, and further legal action will be initiated against the food business operators who have violated the prescribed food safety requirements," the statement said.

In response to the statement issued by the FSDAD, the South Western Railway (SWR) said it is committed to providing safe, hygienic, and high-quality catering services to passengers.

"In line with directives from the Railway Board, SWR has already launched an intensive 14-day Special Food Safety Drive across all divisions. This ongoing initiative focuses on comprehensive inspections of hygiene, cleanliness, validity of FSSAI licenses, expiry dates of food products, and overall food-handling practices across all catering and vending establishments," the SWR said in a statement.

The SWR said its stringent monitoring mechanism spans 428 catering establishments across the Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi divisions, covering 34 major units, 272 minor units, 122 IRCTC units, 38 pantry cars, and key base kitchens.

In 2025–26, Railways conducted 1,243 inspections, issued 129 Improvement Notices, and analysed 528 food samples.

It said 512 samples were found fully compliant, while strict legal/adjudication action was taken against unfit cases.

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"SWR remains firmly committed to maintaining the highest standards of food safety and hygiene, taking decisive action against any vendor failing to meet prescribed standards as part of its daily operational mandates," the Chief Public Relations Officer of SWR, Manjunath Kanamadi, said in the statement.