Mangaluru: Officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected a catering vehicle supplying food to the Vande Bharat Express at Mangaluru Central railway station on Thursday, August 20, as part of intensified checks on food safety and hygiene standards.
The inspection focused on the quality and safety of food supplied to passengers travelling on the train. Officials examined the procedures followed during food preparation, storage and transportation and checked whether the catering vehicle was maintaining the required hygiene standards.
The inspection comes shortly after the Karnataka government introduced a QR code-based system through which members of the public can directly register complaints related to food and drug safety violations.
Food quality and hygiene checked
During the inspection, food safety officials scrutinised the catering arrangements associated with the Vande Bharat Express.
The team checked whether the vehicle used to transport food was adequately clean and maintained in hygienic condition. Officials also examined how the food was stored during transportation to ensure that prescribed safety requirements were being followed.
The inspection covered the handling and transportation of food before it reaches passengers onboard the train. Officials verified whether the prescribed standards were being followed at different stages of the catering process.
Such checks are particularly important for railway catering services, where food prepared at one location may have to be transported and stored before being served to passengers.
The department’s inspection was aimed at ensuring that passengers receive food that meets the required safety and hygiene standards.
Railway catering under scrutiny
The inspection at Mangaluru Central is part of a wider focus on food safety compliance across establishments and services catering to the public.
Railway canteens and catering operations supplying food to trains are now among the facilities being brought under increased inspection. The move is intended to ensure that food served to passengers is prepared, handled, transported and stored in accordance with food safety regulations.
For passengers travelling on premium trains such as the Vande Bharat Express, food and catering services form an important part of the overall travel experience. Maintaining proper hygiene throughout the supply chain is therefore essential.
Regular inspections can help identify shortcomings in food storage, transportation and handling and encourage catering operators to maintain the required standards.
QR code system for complaints
The inspection also comes against the backdrop of the state government’s newly introduced QR code system for reporting food and drug safety violations.
The system is intended to make it easier for members of the public to bring potential violations to the attention of the authorities. Passengers and consumers can use the system to register complaints, allowing officials to respond to concerns relating to food safety.
The introduction of the QR code mechanism has been accompanied by renewed emphasis on inspections across different public-facing establishments.
The initiative is expected to strengthen monitoring by combining regular departmental inspections with complaints received directly from the public.
U T Khader announces wider drives
Health minister U T Khader, while launching the QR code system on Monday, August 17, had announced that special food and drug safety drives would be expanded across Karnataka.
Khader directed officials to conduct regular inspections at a range of locations where food is prepared, stored or served to the public.
The locations identified for increased scrutiny include paying guest accommodations, hostels, educational institutions, railway canteens, hotels and food served on airplanes.
The inclusion of railway catering in the inspection programme means food supplied to passengers at stations and onboard trains will receive greater attention from food safety officials.
The minister’s directions come amid efforts to improve compliance with food safety regulations and ensure that consumers are protected from unsafe or unhygienic food.
Focus on passenger safety
The inspection of the Vande Bharat catering vehicle at Mangaluru Central highlights the importance of food safety in railway services, where large numbers of passengers may depend on catering facilities during their journey.
Ensuring cleanliness of food transport vehicles, appropriate storage conditions and compliance with prescribed standards can help minimise the risk of contamination and food-borne illnesses.
For railway passengers, the availability of a mechanism to report concerns also provides an additional avenue for raising complaints about food quality and hygiene.
The authorities’ increased focus on inspections is expected to encourage catering operators to maintain consistent standards rather than relying solely on periodic checks.
Regular inspections expected
The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department’s inspection at Mangaluru Central is part of the broader drive to strengthen food safety enforcement in Karnataka.
With the government directing officials to expand inspections to railway canteens, hotels, hostels, educational institutions and other establishments, more food-service operators are likely to come under scrutiny.
The combination of regular inspections and the new QR code-based complaint system could provide authorities with additional tools to identify violations and take corrective action.
For passengers using the Vande Bharat Express from Mangaluru, the inspection is also a reminder of the increased attention being given to the safety and hygiene of food served during train journeys.