Bengaluru: Paying guest (PG) accommodation owners in Bengaluru have stepped up efforts to improve kitchen hygiene following Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader’s warning of action against establishments serving food without proper safety standards.

Khader said the Food Safety Division (FSD) would target every establishment that serves food, prompting PG associations and owners to issue fresh instructions to kitchen staff.

PG owners issue hygiene guidelines

Arun Kumar DT, President of the PG Owners’ Welfare Association, said the association was creating awareness among owners and had issued guidelines on maintaining cleanliness.

He said reports of recent food safety raids were also being circulated among PG owners to highlight the need for better hygiene practices.

Several owners and caretakers have since intensified cleaning of kitchens, storage areas and equipment.

Owners step up kitchen cleaning

Raju K, who runs a PG in Nagasandra, said caretakers had been instructed to dispose of waste after every meal to prevent rats and cockroaches from entering the kitchen.

In Koramangala, a PG caretaker, Narasareddy, said RO water purifiers and storage areas had been cleaned. Staff were also advised against storing excessive quantities of grains and vegetables.

Caretakers said owners had been particularly persistent about maintaining cleanliness over the past three days following the warnings and raids.

Residents raise hygiene concerns

Some PG residents, however, said poor kitchen hygiene had been a longstanding concern.

Pooja K, a student staying in Koramangala, said she had stopped eating food provided at her PG after repeatedly seeing cockroaches on kitchen slabs despite complaints.

Another PG resident, Sumit Srivatsava, alleged that kitchen workers did not consistently maintain personal hygiene or clean utensils such as knives and chopping boards.

The increased focus on kitchen hygiene comes as authorities intensify scrutiny of establishments serving food and PG owners seek to avoid notices and possible closure. #Bengaluru #PGAccommodation #FoodSafety #UTHKhader #KitchenHygiene #Karnataka #NewsKarnataka