Biryani may contain rotten meat : GHMC

Hyderabad: Health inspectors from the Malkajgiri division of the GHMC have found smelling and unhygienic meat in many of the restaurants. During a surprise raid at Green Bawarchi restaurant in Mirjalguda, civic officials found decomposed meat, stored for over 10 days, being used in the Biryani. The meat storage area too was dirty. A penalty of Rs 10,000 was imposed on restaurant for storing decomposed meat and for the unhygienic condition of the premises. According to Deputy Commissioner Malkajgiri, Mohan Reddy, the meat was smelling and unhygienic. Instead of disposing of the decomposed stock, the management was using the meat in the Biryani. It was stored for over 10-15 days, when the maximum duration should be one week.

Slaughter house at Swagath Grand Hotel in Malkajgiri was found sealed. The hotel was also directed by the officials to procure stamped meat only from the Bhoiguda slaughterhouse.

The owner of Ghani mutton shop, who procured meat from an illegal source, will also be prosecuted under section 548, 596 of the GHMC Act 1955. The mutton shop in Malkajgiri was buying meat from private sources, without the GHMC seal. It is mandatory for butchers to purchase meat from slaughter houses only.

The officials also found that many Hyderabad meat shops were selling stale meat. Customers are advised to carefully check the meat and poultry sold in shops in the city before buying as its provenance is often unknown. Many restaurants buy their meat from these shops rather than from GHMC approved slaughterhouses. The leftover stock which is not picked up by the hotels is put up for sale in the shop, which is not fresh meat, but could be more than 10 to 15 days old.

Finding it time consuming to buy meat from slaughterhouses, restaurants tie up with the shops for daily or weekly supply. It is not certain that these shops buy the meat from GHMC approved outlets.

“The meat store owner should have a receipt from the Chengicherla, Amberpet or Bhoiguda slaughterhouses, said Food inspector Srinivas Reddy of the GHMC’s Malkajgiri division. Customers can check the seal mark before buying meat which can be seen on any of the legs of the carcass. The buyer can even ask for the receipt from the slaughterhouse.