Food safety violations have been found at many Hyderabad restaurants (Photo: X/ cfs_telangana)
The task force teams from Telangana's Commissioner of Food Safety have been inspecting restaurants and cloud kitchens in various parts of Hyderabad recently. On July 26, 2024, the officials visited establishments in the Begum Bazaar area. Wide-ranging food safety violations were discovered at multiple locations, and notices were issued accordingly. At Shyam Singh Chat Bhandar, the team found live rat infestation, houseflies in the kitchen, open dustbins and food articles without proper covers and labelling. The pest control records for the premises were not available, as per the officials. Additionally, the doors were not closely fitted to prevent entry of pests.
Those were not the only issues discovered in the kitchen. The task force found* synthetic food colours, that were reportedly "being used in preparation of masala water for pani puri." The officials discarded the respective food items and food colours. Moreover, The food handlers at the establishment were not wearing hairnets, gloves and aprons. Their medical fitness certificates were unavailable. The officials also stated that the "FBO [Food Business Operator] obtained FSSAI Registration certificate instead of State License, even though his sales exceed the prescribed limit."
The task force visited Jodhpur Mithai Ghar in Begum Bazaar on the same day. Here, too, the food handlers were found without any hairnets, gloves and aprons. The food items kept on display for sale did not have preparation dates and use-by dates, the officials noted. They were also not covered properly. Furthermore, the Medical fitness certificates for food handlers and pest control records for the premises were unavailable.
Next, the food safety task force visited Simrat's Dhaba in Begum Bazaar. "The FBO is found operating with FSSAI Registration Certificate instead of State License even though the business comes under license category," the officials noted. The food handlers at this establishment too were not wearing the requisite uniform to maintain hygiene standards. The premises did not have an insect-proof screen nor closely fitted doors to keep pests away. The team discovered open dustbins, greasy areas near the exhaust fan and 2.4 kilos of snack seasoning bottles without proper labelling (these were subsequently discarded). The food handlers' Medical fitness certificates and pest control records for the premises were also unavailable.
The task force also found some of these violations at Bal Kishan Milk Bhandar in Begum Bazaar. The requisite fitness certifications and pest control records were not available. The handlers were not properly outfitted. The business was found to be operating without any valid FSSAI License or Registration. Houseflies were observed hovering around dairy products that were not covered properly. Loose milk from the vendor's dairy farm was discovered at the establishment, but it did not have use-by dates labelled on it.
Earlier this month, the task force from Telangana's Commissioner of Food Safety visited restaurants in Next Galleria Mall in Hyderabad. Click here to read what they found.