Bengaluru: A day after chaos erupted at a Bengaluru railway station over a large meat shipment, the Karnataka Food Safety and Standards Department announced that samples of the meat were collected and sent for laboratory analysis, media reports said.

The incident occurred when approximately three tonnes of meat, packed in cartons, arrived from Jaipur by train on Friday night.

The meat was seized by police and department officials after suspicions arose that it might be dog meat, a claim denied by meat dealer Abdul Razzaq, who said the shipment was sheep meat.

The Commissioner of the Food Safety and Standards Department stated that the samples are being tested to identify the animal species.

Legal action will be taken against the senders and recipients if discrepancies are found in their licenses.

“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,” he was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

“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 confusion began when activists seized the shipment outside the railway station, suspecting it was dog meat intended for sale in Bengaluru's hotels, particularly around the Majestic area.

Trader Rizwan Qureshi expressed concerns about the possible supply of dog meat to the city, which he had previously reported to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other officials.

He said that the meat in question was being sold at a lower price than mutton, which raised his suspicions.