Hyderabad: GHMC issues show cause notice to Sancta Maria School, Serilingampally over unhygienic food

Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has issued a show cause notice to Sancta Maria International School, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, following complaints of providing unhygienic food to students.

The notice comes after a team of Food Safety Officers from GHMC conducted an inspection on September 14, 2023, revealing several concerning defects.

Inspection Observations:

During the inspection, the Food Safety Officers noted various defects in the school's kitchen and food handling practices:

Kitchen Area:

The dosa-making equipment was found to be made of corrosive material that is not easy to clean. Additionally, the floors in the oil frying area were reported to be slippery.

Control of Operations:

The wrapping material in contact with the food was not of food-grade quality, and the cooking oil used was not periodically checked, resulting in dark-colored oil in the kitchen. Proper segregation of raw and cooked food materials was also lacking.

Maintenance and Sanitation:

Issues were observed, including stagnation of water at the kitchen floor's edges, equipment not being maintained as per manufacturer instructions, absence of measuring and monitoring devices, dustbins without lids, greasy chimneys, and worker clothes being dried on plates used for eating. Moreover, prepared food items lacked proper labeling with dates of preparation and use by dates.

Documentation:

The school failed to provide pest control records, cleaning records, and medical certificates and lacked a designated food safety supervisor for the approximately 45 workers handling food.

Action Taken:

Samples of Red Chilly Sauce, DNv Vinegar, and used cooking oil were collected during the inspection and sent to the State Food Laboratory, TS, Hyderabad, for analysis. Subsequent actions will be initiated based on the analysis report.

Show Cause Notice:

In light of the deficiencies identified, the management of M/s. Sancta Maria International School has been called upon to provide an explanation within three days of the receipt of the notice.

Failure to respond within the stipulated time will result in the initiation of action under the Provisions of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, and Rules & Regulations, 2011, without further notice, in the interest of public health.

The GHMC, in adherence to food safety standards, aims to ensure that all establishments, including educational institutions, maintain the highest standards of hygiene and food quality for the well-being of consumers, especially children.

This notice serves as a reminder of the importance of food safety in educational institutions and underscores the commitment to public health and safety.

Kitchen Seized

Food safety officers from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) discovered severe lapses in basic hygiene standards within the kitchen of Sancta Maria International School and seized it today.

The inspection uncovered grave violations that raised serious concerns about the safety of food prepared for students.

As a consequence of these findings, the school's kitchen now faces the impending threat of closure.