Mangaluru: Acting on a customer’s complaint that a cockroach was allegedly found in sambar, District Food Safety Designated Officer Dr Praveen Kumar conducted a surprise inspection at a hotel in Thokkottu, Ullal, on Tuesday.
Dr Kumar, accompanied by the department’s driver Lokesh, arrived at the hotel at around 1.30 pm and inspected the kitchen after pulling down the shutters. The inspection was conducted on the Eid Milad government holiday.
According to Dr Kumar, the inspection followed a complaint from a customer regarding the alleged presence of a cockroach in the sambar. During the inspection, officials found that the hotel did not have a separate room for storing food items and that ingredients were being kept in an unorganised manner at various places in the kitchen.
The food items that were not properly stored were removed and the kitchen was washed and cleaned. The hotel management was directed to systematically arrange and store food products in separate designated areas.
Dr Kumar said a notice had been issued to the hotel owner for failing to maintain the required hygiene standards and that a case would be filed before the court of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC).
The inspection has attracted attention locally as it was carried out by the district-level food safety officer himself following a complaint about a cockroach in food. Local traders reportedly questioned the circumstances of the inspection, particularly as it was conducted on a public holiday and the officer arrived with only the department driver.
During the inspection, the officials reportedly pointed out one or two cockroach nymphs found near vegetables and on a container. The inspection was subsequently concluded after the hotel owner arrived and provided his mobile phone number to the officer.
The incident comes shortly after food safety inspections led by Dr Praveen Kumar at several prominent food outlets in Mangaluru, including McDonald’s and KFC, had attracted considerable attention.
While officials have maintained that the Thokkottu inspection was prompted by a customer complaint and cited hygiene deficiencies at the hotel, local traders have questioned whether such inspections should be conducted more regularly rather than only after complaints.
Residents and traders in the area have also called for periodic inspections of hotels and food establishments in Thokkottu, saying regular monitoring and awareness programmes on food safety and hygiene could help prevent such complaints and ensure better standards at eateries.