Hyderabad: Ten enforcement teams of the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE), comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel, conducted a special inspection drive at 20 food establishments in Kukatpally, including Bhulakshmi Mess, a viral spot, on Wednesday, September 9.
The teams inspected restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, hostels, messes and a food manufacturing unit and found several violations of food safety norms.
Spoiled meat, rodent infestation
During the inspections, officials found spoiled and contaminated meat and vegetables, cockroach, housefly, and rodent infestations, unhygienic premises, poor record maintenance, and improper storage of food items at various eateries.
Refrigerators at several establishments were found to be unclean, with inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and improper labelling. Expired food products and food articles infested with pests were also detected, while some food handlers were found not maintaining proper hygiene.
Officials lifted 20 food samples on suspicion of adulteration. Spoiled vegetables and raw materials, including groundnuts, flour and red chillies infested with insects and pests, were discarded on the spot.
Videos from the raid at Bhulakshmi Mess show the restaurant workers throwing the stale chicken and mutton into the bin. According to initial reports, a total of 30 kilograms of mutton and 20 kilograms of chicken were discarded from the restaurant’s kitchens. According to videos posted on Instagram, Bhulakshmi Mess is a sought-after restaurant in Kukatpally Housing Board (KPHB) Colony beside Lulu Mall.
Hostel found operating without license
The GVK New Luxury PG Men’s Hostel was found to be operating without an FSSAI licence or registration and in violation of food safety norms. The establishment was closed.
Improvement notices will be issued to establishments including Gummadi Foods, KS Bakers, Lakshmi Vengamamba Hostel, Padmavathi Delux Mess, Mehfil Restaurant and Sree Harsha Delux Mess. Officials said the establishments would be re-inspected to verify compliance.
Show-cause notice to Paradise food court among others
Show-cause notices will be issued to Paradise Food Court, Chaitanya Food Court, Bhulakshmi Mess and Godavari Mithai, with further action proposed for imposing penalties.
The FSSAI licences of Manikanta’s Live Space Luxury Women’s Hostel, Sri Balaji Luxury Men’s PG Hostel, Hotel Sitara Grand, Bake Max Foods Pvt Ltd (Brown Bear Manufacturing Unit) and Mandi King Arabian Restaurant have been suspended, with directions to stop business operations immediately in the interest of public health.
TG SAFE said action would be taken based on the findings of the inspections and subsequent compliance checks.
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