After Bengaluru hotel raids, survey finds 9 in 10 diners report seeing hygiene violations

The survey by the community-based social media and governance platform was conducted between July 14 and August 10, with participants’ addresses validated as being in Bengaluru, LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia said.

What diners say

Staff handling food unhygienically was the most commonly reported issue, with 32 per cent of respondents reporting it in restaurants in their area in the past year.

Another 31 per cent said they had seen food heated or served in plastic containers that may not have been food-grade or microwave-safe. Dirty dining areas, kitchens or washrooms, and reuse of cooking oil were each reported by 29 per cent of respondents.

Other issues reported included stale or repeatedly reheated food (21 per cent), poor separation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food during preparation or serving (23 per cent), and pests such as cockroaches, rats, and flies (17 per cent).

The LocalCircles survey, shared with The Indian Express, received 9,861 responses from consumers who said they had visited air-conditioned restaurants in Bengaluru at least once in the past year.

Only 6 per cent of respondents selected either “none of the above” or “can’t say”, meaning 94 per cent reported witnessing at least one of the listed issues.

The survey also asked consumers which food-safety practices concerned them most when eating out. Pests topped the list, with 77 per cent of respondents selecting them. Dirty kitchens, dining areas or washrooms followed at 74 per cent, while 71 per cent said they were most concerned about expired or improperly stored ingredients.

Poor staff personal hygiene was cited by 64 per cent, while 61 per cent expressed concern about food being heated in unsafe plastic containers. Reuse of stale or leftover food and cooking oil were concerns for 58 per cent and 54 per cent of respondents, respectively.

How diners rated restaurant standards

Despite the concerns, 45 per cent of respondents rated the hygiene and food safety standards of air-conditioned restaurants in their area as good or excellent, 34 per cent as good, and 11 per cent as excellent.

Another 27 per cent rated the standards as average, while 11 per cent rated them poor and 4 per cent very poor. Seven per cent said standards had deteriorated over the past few years, while 9 per cent said they varied significantly from one restaurant to another.

The survey question on overall standards received 2,235 responses.

What consumers want

The survey found strong support for tougher enforcement by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and State Food Safety Departments at such restaurants.

Of the 2,444 responses, 81 per cent said licences should be suspended immediately in cases of serious hygiene violations.

Quarterly hygiene inspections and public disclosure of restaurants violating food-safety norms were each backed by 76 per cent of respondents.

Meanwhile, 65 per cent said hygiene ratings should be publicly displayed at restaurants and on food-delivery apps, while an equal proportion supported higher penalties for repeat offenders.

Other measures that received support included a ban on heating food in non-food-grade or non-microwave-safe plastic containers (66 per cent), mandatory separation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food preparation areas (59 per cent), and mandatory records for disposal of used cooking oil (57 per cent).

Recent Bengaluru raids

The survey comes amid a recent KFSDA inspection drive in Bengaluru. Thirty teams inspected 60 three- and five-star hotels in Bengaluru Urban district and collected 77 food samples for laboratory testing.

Officials seized 640 kg of expired or improperly stored mutton, fish and chicken, 276 kg of rotten vegetables, 45 litres of expired dairy products, 12 kg of stale bakery products, including cakes, 67 kg of expired or mislabelled cereals and other food products, and 49 litres of used cooking oil.

Skyye Lounge in UB City and Pegs and Bottles on Church Street were also shut during the drive.