Hyderabad: A Task Force team of the Telangana Food Safety department conducted inspections on restaurants in Hyderabad’s Patancheru area on Friday, December 12, revealing significant violations of food safety regulations across multiple establishments.
These inspections were part of an initiative to address rising concerns over food adulteration and ensure compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.
Expired products, rotten vegetables
At Isthara Babai Hotel, inspectors identified several critical issues. Notably, the establishment failed to display its FSSAI license prominently. Additionally, expired products were found on the premises, including milk packets that had expired on December 8, and Bombay gold spices that were outdated since July 2024.
The hotel also had food quality concerns, with several vegetables discovered to be rotten and spoilt. Unsafe practices were evident as food colours were being used in prepared dishes, raising serious health concerns.
Furthermore, medical fitness records and FoSTaC training certificates for food handlers were missing. Hygiene issues included a partially blocked kitchen drain and uncovered food materials in the refrigerator.
Lastly, doors and windows lacked insect-proof screens, allowing potential contamination, while cleaning materials were improperly stored alongside raw food items.
Synthetic food colours, no proper labelling
Similar violations were noted at The Palace-2, where inspectors found that the food business operator did not possess a valid FSSAI license.
Essential water quality testing reports were also unavailable at this establishment. The kitchen presented safety risks with open exits lacking protective shields. During the inspection, synthetic food colours found in prepared foods were discarded.
Additionally, semi-prepared foods were not labelled, and both vegetarian and non-vegetarian items were stored together in the same refrigerator, violating food safety protocols.
Highly unhygienic kitchen
Gulshan Hotel faced serious compliance issues as well. The establishment was operating without a valid license and lacked FoSTAC-trained personnel on-site.
Water analysis reports and medical fitness certificates for food handlers were missing, raising further red flags about hygiene standards.
The kitchen was deemed highly unhygienic due to inadequate insect-proof measures. Inspectors also noted that iron knives used for cutting posed additional hygiene risks.
Furthermore, prepared and semi-prepared foods were not labelled properly, and fried onions were stored in unhygienic plastic drums.
Food handlers at this establishment lacked appropriate attire such as headcaps, aprons, and gloves.
These inspections on restaurants in Hyderabad’s Patancheru have raised serious alarms about food safety standards in local eateries.
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