Hyderabad: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has instructed street food vendors in Telangana to maintain hygiene and adopt safe food handling practices while adhering to food safety regulations. These directives were issued during the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) sessions held in the districts of Mahabubnagar and Karimnagar.
According to reports, a total of 750 street food vendors from Telangana participated in the FoSTaC training sessions.
From August 27-30, 350 vendors in Mahabubnagar underwent training, followed by training for 400 vendors in Karimnagar between September 3-6. Further sessions are planned across Telangana to continue this initiative.
Earlier, FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification) sessions were held in the Sangareddy district from August 21 to August 24. Sponsored by Nestle India and organised by NASVI, these sessions trained 400 street food vendors.
The training covered best practices in street food preparation and ingredient selection. Vendors received certificates and kits with aprons, gloves, headcaps, and towels.
Food safety team raids popular restaurants in Hyderabad
Apart from training sessions with Telangana street food vendors, a task force from the food safety department of Telangana conducted raids at popular restaurants in Hyderabad.
The raids were conducted at Niloufer Cafe, Raja Deluxe, and Haiku restaurants.
At Niloufer Cafe, located in Banjara Hills, the team found expired cheese, Kashmiri paprika powder, and roasted peanuts in the kitchen premises. During the inspection at Raja Deluxe Restaurant in Banjara Hills, the team found stagnant water in the drains, and the doors and windows were not fitted with insect-proof screens.
At Haiku, another popular restaurant in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, food items such as cumin seeds, black sesame, tamarind, and red lotus flour were found to be expired.