TG SAFE Cracks Down on Hyderabad Eateries; Four Licences Suspended
Telangana's food safety authority inspected 21 Hyderabad eateries and 46 statewide outlets, suspending four FSSAI licences and issuing notices to several others.
Food safety inspections across Hyderabad have led to enforcement action against a string of well-known restaurants, cafes and sweet shops, with the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) suspending the licences of four establishments and ordering them to halt operations immediately.
Ten enforcement teams, made up of Food Safety Officers and police personnel, inspected 21 restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, hotels and hostels on Thursday, September 10. The checks turned up a range of violations, including the use of spoiled or contaminated meat and vegetables, infestations of cockroaches, houseflies and rodents, unhygienic premises, poorly kept records and unclean refrigerators. Officials also flagged inadequate separation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, improper labelling, expired stock, pest-infested food articles and poor personal hygiene among food handlers.
Thirteen food samples were collected on suspicion of adulteration. Spoiled vegetables and food articles found to be infested with insects or pests were discarded on the spot.
In the most serious cases, TG SAFE suspended the FSSAI licences of Lakshmi Sri Balaji Sweets and Bakery, Girl Friend Mandi, Kholani's Fine Dine Restaurant and Kakatiya Tiffins Meals and Snacks, citing multiple hygiene lapses, and directed them to stop business operations at once in the interest of public health.
Improvement notices are to be issued to 7 Sisters Restaurant, Habitat Cafe, The Nawab's Restaurant, Keshava Reddy Sweets, Seasons Express Restaurant and All Seasons Restaurant in Banjara Hills, as well as Sri Venkateshwara Lodge and Ashoka Hotel in Lakdikapool. These establishments will be re-inspected to confirm whether the lapses have been corrected, with further action depending on compliance.
Show-cause notices will go to Casa Laban, Sarvi Food Court and Dakini Sweet Treats in Banjara Hills and The Central Court Hotel in Lakdikapul, with penalties to be pursued based on the violations recorded.
The drive extended beyond the capital. During a statewide inspection of 46 food establishments, including restaurants, bakeries, dhabas, hotels, sweet shops and hostels, TG SAFE suspended the FSSAI licences of M/s Mahendra Meals, Biryani and Curry Point in Station Ghanpur, Sri Balaji Magic Mithai in Baopet, Karimnagar, and M/s Cha Cha Family Dabha on NH-65 at Tupranpet in Choutuppal, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.