Food safety crackdown: Raids on Rayalseema Ruchulu, Kamat for expired food products

Hyderabad: A series of food safety inspections conducted by a task force team over three days in Hyderabad has revealed widespread violations across several eateries and retail outlets.

Rayalaseema Ruchulu and Shah Ghouse in Lakdikapul

On May 18, a task force team conducted inspections in the Lakdikapul area, resulting in several food safety violations.

At Rayalaseema Ruchulu, the team found and destroyed 20 kg of maida infested with black beetles and 2 kg of tamarind infested with insects. Expired Amul Gold milk was found and discarded along with 168 bottles of Goli Soda worth Rs 16,000 which were seized due to the lack of a manufacturing license. Additionally, unlabelled cashew and jawari roti worth Rs 11,000 were discarded due to improper labelling.

Improper storage practices, including the mixing of vegetables and non-vegetarian items, and hygiene issues such as blocked drains and open kitchen windows were also noted.

At Shah Ghouse, inspectors found unlabelled prepared and semi-prepared food in storage, and medical records for food handlers were unavailable. Hygiene issues included water stagnation. A statutory sample was taken for lab analysis.

Kamat and Sukha Sagara in Khairatabad

Inspections in the Khairatabad area on May 17 uncovered several infractions.

Kamat Hotel had unlabelled noodles and tea powder packets worth Rs 25,000 which were seized. Additionally, food handlers were found without medical fitness certificates and necessary protective gear like hair caps and gloves.

At Hotel Sukha Sagara Veg Restaurant, inspectors destroyed JK Button Mushroom packets worth Rs 1,425, as they lacked manufacturing and use-by dates. Plastering flakes were observed on roof and wall areas and the kitchen had no proper separation from the outside environment.

Ameerpet Metro station outlets face scrutiny

On May 16, outlets at Ameerpet Metro Station were inspected. At the Ratnadeep retail store, 15 Cadbury Bournville Dark Chocolate bars were found leaking from sealed packs, leading to seizure and sample collection for analysis.

Jumbo King Burgers was found operating with a registration instead of the required license under FSSAI rules, and not using a TPC meter to check the quality of reused oil. Unlabelled paneer patty worth Rs 2,600 was discarded, and hygiene issues like water stagnation and open dustbins were identified.

KFC was cited for improper medical fitness certificates, while Five Star Food Court failed to monitor the quality of reused oil with a TPC meter and faced hygiene issues such as open dustbins and lack of hair caps and gloves. Medical fitness certificates for food handlers were also missing.

Penalty for non-compliance

The task force warned that failure to comply with food safety regulations and directives issued by a food safety officer would result in a fine of Rs 2 lakhs for any food business operator unless a reasonable justification for non-compliance is provided. The inspections aim to ensure food safety and hygiene standards are maintained across the city.