Open dustbins, rotten eggs with flies: China Bistro in Jubilee Hills, Hanumakonda eateries ignore hygiene

Hyderabad: Recent inspections by the Food Safety Department’s task force have revealed food safety violations in the Jubilee Hills area and Hanumakonda District.

Authorities found expired food products, improper storage, non-compliance in labelling and poor hygiene practices in several food establishments, highlighting serious breaches of FSSAI regulations.

Jubilee Hills Inspection: China Bistro

On Friday a task force team raided China Bistro in the Jubilee Hills area and found several violations:

- Expired Food Products: Items such as potato flakes, Scamorza cheese, rice flour, white vinegar and pasta were discovered and discarded.

- Semi-Prepared Food Issues: Food stored in the refrigerator had labels indicating they were beyond their use-by dates, resulting in immediate disposal.

- Labelling Non-compliance: Items like mayonnaise sweet sauce, premium dry fruits such as nutmeg, and pancake syrup were found without proper FSSAI labelling. The official seized the improperly labelled stock.

- Open Dustbins: Dustbins were observed to be open without proper lids.

- Lack of Documentation: The task force could not find any medical fitness certificates for food handlers or pest control records at the restaurant.

- FSSAI license not displayed: The officials found that the FSSAI license was not prominently displayed.

Hanumakonda district inspections

On May 30, inspections were conducted at various food establishments in Hanumakonda District where several safety and hygiene issues came to the fore.

- Sri Amogham Foods in Nakkalgutta

At Sri Amogham Foods, the task force detected synthetic food colours in food preparation. They also discarded 25 kg of raw chicken and 4 kg of cauliflower.

The FSSAI license was not displayed in a prominent location at the restaurant, and semi-prepared and raw food articles were inadequately labelled and stored in the refrigerator.

The kitchen was open to the outside environment without proper barriers to prevent pests, and dustbins were found open without lids.

Food handlers were observed without haircaps, gloves or aprons, and the establishment lacked medical fitness certificates and pest control records.

Additionally, there was no water analysis report for the RO water used in cooking and drinking, and rust formation was observed on cooking vessels.

- Hotel Shreya near Hanumakonda bus stand

At Hotel Shreya, the officials found that food was being cooked using synthetic food colours. Authorities also seized and discarded raw chicken (10 kg), rotten eggs (50), spoiled fish tikka (1 kg), and other expired items. Houseflies were found in prepared food and fungal infestation (mold) was detected on cooked chicken stored in the refrigerator.

Reused cooking oil was identified and discarded. Drinking water bottles and sweet corn packets were seized for bearing improper or no labels.

Food handlers were not wearing haircaps, gloves or aprons and lacked medical fitness certificates. Dustbins were found open and placed near cooked food and an open drainage was observed in the kitchen.

Perforated walls and dirt deposits were noted in the dining room and there was a proper storage area for veg and non-veg food items.

Hotel Ashoka

At Hotel Ashoka, authorities discarded 8 kg of idly batter and 5 litres of boiled milk contaminated with houseflies.

Synthetic food colours and expired items, including chicken masala and sauce, were found and discarded. Prepared food was stored under a roof with spider webs and oil was leaking from the roof.

Reused cooking oil was identified and discarded and expired raw materials with labelling defects were found. Indian noodles and saunf were seized for lab analysis.

Food handlers were without proper hairnets, aprons or gloves and the FSSAI license was not displayed prominently.

Penalty

Failure to comply with food safety regulations and directives issued by a food safety officer will result in a fine of Rs 2 lakhs for any food business operator unless a reasonable justification for non-compliance is provided.