Inspections At Restaurants In Hyderabad's HITEC City Reveal Food Safety Violations

The task force representing Telangana's Commissioner of Food Safety has been conducting inspections at food establishments in different regions of Hyderabad in recent times. On July 27, 2024, the officials visited the neighbourhood known as Hi-Tech City. At Exotica, which is listed as a North Indian restaurant online, several violations were found. There was a live cockroach infestation inside the store room, the fridge used for storing meat was unhygienic and the dustbins were uncovered. Furthermore, semi-cooked food items inside the refrigerator were not labelled properly (they did not have preparation dates and "use by" dates).

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The restaurant was found to be adhering to some of the requisite protocols. For instance, the team noted that the food handlers were attired properly. The premises had mesh and closely fitted doors to prevent pests. The true copy of the restaurant's FSSAI License was displayed. The Medical Fitness Certificates for food handlers and testing reports for food articles were available.

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On the same day, the task force inspected Ming Ustad, another restaurant in Hi-Tech City. The team found 200 grams of expired mushroom and 360 grams of kasuri methi, both of which were then discarded on the spot. The officials discovered that vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items were stored together in the same refrigerator. Moreover, some of the semi-prepared dishes did not have labels indicating preparation dates and "use by" dates. The premises were outfitted to avoid entry of pests (thanks to mesh, fitted doors). However, the officials noted that the dustbins did not have proper lids/covering. Some of the food handlers also did not wear hairnets. Although the food handlers' Medical Fitness Certificates for food handlers and the premises' pest control records were available, the true copy of the FSSAI License "was not displayed at a prominent location inside premises," the task force pointed out.

Before this, the task force for Telangana's Commissioner of Food Safety inspected establishments in Hyderabad's Begum Bazaar. Violations were found at Shyam Singh Chat Bhandar, Jodhpur Mithai Ghar, Simrat's Dhaba Bal and Kishan Milk Bhandar. Click here to read the full story.

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