KFC in trouble over chicken complaint; Mangaluru godown sealed

Food safety officials sealed the godown of a KFC outlet at City Centre mall in Mangaluru after a customer complained that an online order contained allegedly spoiled and foul-smelling chicken.

Officials from Karnataka's Food Safety Department conducted a surprise inspection at the KFC outlet on KS Rao Road following the complaint.

The customer had reportedly ordered Chicken Peri Peri Legs online and alleged that the chicken appeared stale and had an unpleasant smell.

Officials inspected the restaurant's kitchen, storeroom and cold storage facilities during the raid. The outlet's godown was subsequently sealed.

Chicken samples sent for testing

Food safety officials collected samples from the outlet and sent them to a laboratory for testing.

The department said further legal and administrative action will depend on the laboratory findings. The inspection does not, by itself, establish that the food served to the customer was spoiled.

Food safety checks expand across Karnataka

The department also continued inspections in Mysuru city and district.

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.

Further investigation into the seized food products and the establishments is underway.

Why the inspections matter

The Mangaluru inspection comes amid wider food safety checks across Karnataka. Complaints involving allegedly spoiled food can trigger inspections of storage facilities, kitchens and temperature-controlled areas, particularly where meat and other perishable products are involved.

Laboratory testing will be important in determining whether the chicken samples collected from the Mangaluru outlet failed food safety standards. Any regulatory or legal action against the outlet would depend on the findings and applicable food safety rules.

The seizures in Mysuru also highlight the importance of proper storage, expiry-date monitoring and safe handling of perishable food in hotels and restaurants.