Lagatar24 Desk
Bengaluru: The Food Safety and Standards Department in Bengaluru has initiated a detailed investigation following allegations that dog meat was being sold as mutton. The controversy erupted on Friday evening at KSR railway station, where Hindutva groups accused a vendor of transporting dog meat disguised as mutton. The vendor, who has been in the meat business for 12 years, claimed the meat was mutton transported from Jaipur via the Jaipur-Mysuru Express.
Following the uproar, food safety officials promptly arrived at the scene to collect meat samples for laboratory testing. The commissioner of the Food Safety and Standards Department stated, “During the inspection, it was found that parcels received via a train from Rajasthan were being loaded into a transport vehicle in the outer premises of the station. There were 90 parcels, and upon inspection, animal meat was found in the parcels. Samples were collected and sent to the food laboratory for analysis regarding species of animals.”
The commissioner assured the public that strict legal action would be taken if any instances of mixing other meats were confirmed. “Based on the analysis reports, further legal actions will be taken. Detailed information about the FSSAI licenses of the senders and recipients of the parcels is being collected. If any discrepancies are found, further legal actions will be initiated as per law,” he added.
The allegations and subsequent investigation have caused significant concern among Bengaluru residents and meat consumers. Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai expressed his shock on X (formerly known as Twitter), posting, “This is shocking. When will our government act?”
As the city awaits the lab test results, the Food Safety and Standards Department’s swift response aims to address public health concerns and ensure the integrity of the food supply.