Food safety raids at restaurants in Hyderabad; fungus-infested veggies found

Hyderabad: A task force from the food safety department of Telangana conducted raids on Tuesday, September 3, at well-known restaurants in Hyderabad.

The raids were conducted at Bheemavaram Pulao and Krithunga Train Restaurant in Habsiguda.

Violations found during raids at popular restaurants in Hyderabad

At Bheemavaram Pulao, the Food Business Operator (FBO) was found to be operating with a business registration rather than the required state license. Additionally, the FSSAI licence was not displayed on the premises.

The inspection at this Hyderabad restaurant uncovered a series of sanitation and hygiene issues: pest control records and medical fitness certificates were missing, doors and windows lacked insect-proof screens, and semi-prepared and raw food items were stored uncovered and unlabelled in the refrigerator.

Alarmingly, fungus-infested carrots were discovered and discarded, and there was cross-contamination of veg and non-veg items in the same refrigerator.

Cockroach infestation was noted in the kitchen storage racks, and food handlers were observed without proper head caps, gloves, and aprons. Open dust bins and synthetic food colours are suspected to be used in prepared foods.

At Krithunga Train Restaurant in Hyderabad, several significant hygiene and safety violations. Key issues identified included the absence of medical fitness certificates for food handlers and a lack of fostac-trained personnel.

The inspection at the kitchen of the famous Hyderabad restaurant highlighted numerous sanitation problems including doors being found open without insect-proof screens, and refrigerators used for food storage were in unhygienic conditions. Food items in the refrigerators were covered but not labelled, with both veg and non-veg items stored together.

Additionally, it was noted that rice and wheat bags were stored directly on the floor in the storeroom without proper spacing from the walls, open dustbins lacking lids, and broken tiles in the food preparation area.

Furthermore, the team discovered 10 kg of fungus-infested groundnuts, which were discarded immediately.

In violations found at other raids across popular restaurants in Hyderabad, the team found expired cheese, Kashmiri paprika powder, and roasted peanuts in the kitchen premises of Niloufer Cafe, located in Banjara Hills.