Council Uncovers Rampant Non-Compliance Among Eateries
December 9, 2025
Restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and other eateries nationwide have been found breaching essential food safety regulations, raising serious concerns for consumers’ health and wellbeing ahead of the festive season. This follows a targeted series of surveillances and inspections across these food establishments. A total of 220 inspections were conducted nationwide in recent weeks, uncovering widespread hygiene lapses and significant regulatory non-compliance.
The Council’s findings show that some restaurants are operating in filthy, unhygienic, and hazardous environments, displaying a blatant disregard for consumer health. The Councils officers discovered kitchens with greasy floors, filthy preparation benches, and equipment coated with grime and food residue. In several establishments, staff were handling food with bare hands, without gloves, hairnets, or any form of protective gear. Cross-contamination risks were rampant, with raw and cooked foods placed side-by-side, dirty utensils reused without proper washing, food stored in broken, dirty freezers, and rubbish bins left wide open for flies and other insects.
Rotten and mouldy ingredients were also found in multiple restaurant kitchens. Meat and poultry were discovered emitting foul smells and showing clear signs of spoilage due to improper storage temperatures. Some food items were kept in rusted or unclean containers, while fresh produce such as potatoes, onions, and leafy greens were wilted, rotten, or decaying but still being prepared for use. These conditions are not only disgusting, they are dangerous, putting consumers at direct risk of food poisoning and illness.
Alongside the filthy hygiene conditions, the Council uncovered widespread non-compliance with licensing and regulatory obligations in restaurants. A notable number of establishments were operating with expired or missing Health Licences, Business Registration Certificates, NFA Certificates, and Grading Certificates. Some restaurants were found selling expired items or displaying food products with missing or misleading labels. In several cases, expiry dates appeared to be tampered with or removed entirely, indicating deliberate attempts to mislead consumers.
Council CEO Seema Shandil while speaking about the findings, stated that the conditions uncovered point to a troubling disregard for basic food safety standards within parts of the restaurant industry. “Many of the environments we inspected were filthy and completely unacceptable. How can you operate in the retail food industry and not follow basic hygiene practices? Consumers trust that the meals they purchase are prepared in clean and safe settings, but the level of negligence we have seen from some establishments is simply disgraceful,” she said.
Ms. Shandil further stated that, following this round of restaurant surveillance, the Council will compile and submit a detailed report to the Ministry of Health outlining all findings and necessary recommendations for enforcement. She emphasised that the Council continues to work closely with municipal councils, health inspectors, and relevant authorities to ensure that non-compliant restaurants face the appropriate actions. “As we move into the festive season, restaurants must not use increased demand as an excuse to cut corners. Food safety, proper licensing, and hygienic practices are mandatory, they are not negotiable.”
The Council urges consumers to remain alert when choosing where to dine during the festive period. Anyone who encounters unsafe, dirty, or suspicious food practices is encouraged to report immediately to the National Consumer Helpline 155 or through the Council’s official social media pages.
