The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has intensified its action against unsafe food and poor hygiene in restaurants across the city. On Wednesday, the AMC health department issued an advisory to 11,123 restaurants and food business operators, asking them to install CCTV cameras in kitchen areas and display the live feed near the reception or seating area. This will allow customers to see how food is prepared and whether basic hygiene standards are being followed.
The civic body said food businesses must follow cleanliness and sanitation standards under the Food Safety and Standards Act and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines. These include maintaining personal hygiene among food handlers, keeping raw and cooked food separate, using clean water, storing food safely, controlling pests and disposing of waste properly. Kitchens and utensils must also be cleaned and sanitised regularly.
Restaurants have also been told to protect food from dust and contamination, use only FSSAI-approved colours and ingredients and handle cooking oil properly. The AMC has warned that negligence can lead to legal action. Repeated or serious violations could result in licence cancellation and sealing of premises.
Although live kitchen CCTV is not legally mandatory, the AMC has strongly encouraged restaurants to adopt the practice voluntarily. The move comes alongside inspections that have already found several serious violations. Some establishments were sealed during Wednesday’s inspections.
Ahmedabad restaurants face action
Mad Over Grills in Kankaria was sealed after inspectors found pests in stored refined flour. Santosh Ghee Bhandar in Madhupura was shut after an Agmark desi ghee sample tested positive for a compound found in vegetable oils, indicating possible adulteration.
Rajesh Dudh Ghar in Kubernagar faced action after its paneer failed quality tests. Sabru Chinese Mughlai & Tawa Fry Centre in Sarkhej was shut for unhygienic conditions and not having a pest control certificate. Samrat Bakery in Behrampura was sealed for operating without a valid licence and maintaining filthy premises, while Bhairavnath Bhojanalay in Rakhial was sealed after its paneer sample failed quality testing.
The AMC also inspected eight school and college canteens. The Mahatma Gandhi Physiotherapy College Hostel canteen in Saijpur Bogha was sealed for operating without a valid food licence and for several hygiene violations. Inspectors found insects in food, unhygienic conditions and missing medical fitness certificates for staff, pest control records and water quality reports.
5-year-old girl dies, family falls ill after restaurant meal
The dangers of unsafe food were highlighted by a tragic incident in Surat, where a five-year-old girl died after her family fell ill following a restaurant meal.
The family, living in Ranujadham Society, had ordered Kaju-Paneer Curry from Sheetal Restaurant. Five family members were hospitalised, and five-year-old Arya died during treatment.
According to the family, Ashokbhai Kalsaria and one of his daughters developed severe stomach pain around 4 am on 16th August. They visited a local clinic around 9 am, but their condition worsened. Other family members soon became unwell and were taken to Sadvichar Hospital. The family said Arya died within 15 to 20 minutes of reaching the hospital emergency room.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the importance of proper food storage, preparation and hygiene at restaurants.
Rotten meat and expired food found in Bengaluru
Several other food safety cases have also come to light in Bengaluru. On Sunday, 9th August, during a raid at Skyye Lounge in UB City, Karnataka food safety officials found 45 kg of rotten meat, 6 kg of rotten vegetable cutlets and 15 litres of used cooking oil. The inspection also found an unhygienic kitchen, while meat and beef were reportedly covered with fungus. Milk and curd had expired around 10 days earlier.
Across five establishments, officials seized or discarded 132 kg of food articles and 15 litres of used cooking oil. Royal Chain Hotel accounted for 50 kg of duck and 5 kg of fish, while food items were also seized or discarded at Madras Kitchen, Tescon Hotel and Sanchez Hotel.
The inspections also found serious storage violations. Officials reported that meat at one establishment had been kept in cold storage for more than six months, while fish at another was reportedly stored for more than a year. Notices were issued to establishments that violated food safety rules, and samples were sent to laboratories for testing.
The crackdown followed another drive on 7th August, when officials seized large quantities of meat, vegetables, fish, bakery products and milk from several prominent Bengaluru hotels. LaLiT Ashok Bengaluru later disputed some of the findings, saying its frozen meat and food products were not spoiled or unfit for consumption and that the milk had only crossed its “Best Before” date by one day.
KFC outlet inspected after complaint
In another case, food safety officials raided a KFC outlet at City Centre Mall on KS Rao Road in Mangaluru after a customer complained that an online order contained spoiled and foul-smelling chicken.
Officials inspected the kitchen, storeroom and cold storage areas before sealing the outlet’s go-down. Food samples were collected and sent to a laboratory, with further action to depend on the test results.
The food safety drive was later expanded to Mysuru, where officials seized 9 kg of expired chicken from Rio Meridian Hotel, 68 kg of meat from Grand Mercure Hotel and 4 kg of mushrooms from Q Star Hotel.
KFC said it follows FSSAI guidelines and global quality standards, carries out multiple safety checks and is cooperating with the authorities.
Can CCTV improve restaurant hygiene?
Kitchen CCTV alone cannot completely end food adulteration or unsafe practices. Regular inspections, food testing, proper storage and strict action against violations remain equally important.
However, making kitchen activities visible to customers can create greater accountability. Restaurants may be more careful about cleanliness, food handling and storage when their practices can be watched.
The AMC’s move, combined with inspections and action against violations, could therefore push restaurants towards better hygiene standards. The larger goal is not only to punish businesses after violations but also to encourage them to maintain safe and clean kitchens every day.
