Health minister launches food testing kiosks to combat adulteration, pollution

Bengaluru: The Food Safety and Standards Department launched 10 kiosks, equipped with magic box and rapid testing kits (FSSAI-approved), in Bengaluru’s major malls on Friday.

At these kiosks, the public can test the quality of common food items like pulses, sugar, cooking oil, tea powder, salt, milk, and dairy products, including ghee, paneer, and butter, as well as vegetables, coriander powder, drinking water, and other food products.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao inaugurated the initiative, stating, “Everything around us — air, water, and food — is polluted. This step aims to reduce pollutants that could harm our health and serve as a deterrent for anyone attempting to use or supply adulterated food.”

He added that he intends to expand this initiative to supermarkets and metro stations.

Each kiosk will be staffed by an FSSAI-trained worker who will test food samples on-site. If any sample is found to be substandard, the FSSAI will take appropriate action to halt the sale and distribution of the product.

Malls where the kiosks are set up:

Vaishnavi Sapphire Centre, Tumakuru Road

Elements Mall, Thanisandra

Phoenix Mall of Asia, Ballari Road

Meenakshi Mall, Bannerghatta Road

1 Shobha Mall, Church Street

Central Mall, Bellandur

Gopalan Signature Mall, Benniganahalli

Nexus Forum Mall, Koramangala

Bharatiya Mall of Bengaluru, Thanisandra

GT World Mall, Magadi Road

Inspections in September

142 railway station food stalls

35 KSTDC units

184 mutton and goat samples (5 were substandard)

81 egg samples (1 was substandard)

246 chicken samples (10 were substandard)

230 ghee samples (5 unsafe and 1 substandard. None had animal fat)