The Government of Karnataka will expand its food-safety initiatives to street-food vendors, with a greater focus on hygiene, awareness and safe food-handling practices, Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader said at an Interactive Session on Food Safety organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) in Bengaluru.

Khader said that after strengthening food-safety enforcement across hotels, restaurants and other establishments, the Government will 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.

Welcoming the Government’s continued focus on food safety, CA K. Ravi, President, BCIC, said industry and government need to work together to strengthen standards and build 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 also expressed its intent to work with the Government of Karnataka on the initiatives suggested by the Minister through industry participation, awareness-building and collaborative programmes.Khader noted that street-food vendors serve a significant section of the population and form an important part of the food ecosystem. He said food safety cannot be achieved through inspections alone, with greater education and awareness among vendors, food handlers, businesses and consumers also needed to improve 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 has also said establishments are expected to follow prescribed standards relating to purity, quality, hygiene and food handling. The Minister also announced that Karnataka plans to host a national-level Food Safety Officers and Commissioners Conclave in October. The event is expected to bring together officials from different states to discuss ways to strengthen the country’s food-safety framework.

The conclave will provide an opportunity to exchange food-safety practices followed across states, identify gaps in existing systems and discuss areas where rules or regulations may need strengthening. The discussions are also expected to help develop recommendations that can be taken up with the Central Government where required. Khader also highlighted concerns around the repeated reuse of cooking oil by food establishments. The Government is exploring mechanisms to collect used cooking oil and divert it for alternative uses instead of allowing it to be repeatedly used for food preparation.

One option being explored is collaboration with biodiesel companies, which can collect used cooking oil from hotels and other food establishments and use it as raw material for biodiesel production. Such a system could provide establishments with an alternative disposal channel while discouraging unsafe reuse. Delivering a special address, Dr. V. Pasupathy, National Advisor, FHRAI and National Award recipient for Food Safety, said food-safety responsibility must extend beyond kitchen operations and involve senior management.

“Food safety is not merely a kitchen responsibility instead 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,” Dr. Pasupathy said.

He added that FSSAI assesses hotels on 51 questions carrying 126 marks, while 44 marks directly concern the owner and General Manager, highlighting the role of leadership in maintaining food-safety standards. He also pointed out that 46% of recent suspension notices were related to raw-material management. The session covered food-safety and hygiene standards, compliance and enforcement updates, industry best practices and ways to build consumer confidence. It was organised under the aegis of BCIC’s Hospitality, Tourism & Travel Expert Committee.