Telangana Food Safety Department Takes Strong Action: Shocking Crackdown on Unsafe Food Outlets!
Telangana’s Food Safety Taskforce has launched a significant statewide enforcement initiative, inspecting 12 highway food outlets across three major national highways on Saturday, November 1. The inspection targeted NH-65 (Hyderabad–Vijayawada), NH-163 (Warangal–Hyderabad), and NH-44 (Kurnool–Hyderabad), spanning the districts of Sangareddy, Warangal, and Jogulamba Gadwal.
One of the notable findings occurred at The Hotel NH-9, also known as The Palace Hotel, in Rudraram, Sangareddy. Officials discovered alarming violations, including unsanitary kitchen conditions, pest infestations, uncovered and unlabelled food items, blocked drainage systems, and improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. Moreover, there were suspicions regarding the use of synthetic food colors. Following the inspection, the hotel’s license was suspended under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Authorities disposed of 107.5 kilograms of unsafe food products, comprising prawns, fish, chicken, paneer, and gobi fry, with the establishment ordered to cease operations until further notice.
In addition to The Palace Hotel, several other establishments along the inspected routes were found to violate food safety regulations. Restaurants such as Taj Palace Hotel, Athidhi 44 Drive-In, and Lepakshi Restaurants on NH-44 were noted for lapses in hygiene. Issues included poor kitchen cleanliness, unlabelled food containers, expired ingredients, and the reuse of cooking oils. As part of the initiative, officials collected seven food samples and issued eight notices for necessary improvements.
Specific enforcement actions led to the immediate disposal of a variety of unsafe food items. At Utsav Restaurant in Pedda Kaparathi, 16 kg of stored meat and seafood, along with various other food products, were discarded. Similarly, at Athidhi Restaurant in Koyalagudem, officials removed 8 kg of spoiled chicken and 5 kg of expired dry fruits from their inventory.
The inspections at Sangam Hotel revealed 2 kg of synthetic food colors and 8 kg of long-stored cooked food lacking proper labels. At The Fort Food Court on NH-163, authorities discarded 6 kg of colored prawns and seized multiple products with defective labeling, including 15 kg of red gram dal and 9 kg of turmeric.
Other notable violations included those at Minerva Coffee Shop and Blue Fox Restaurant, where 1 kg of synthetic food colors and 5 kg of improperly labeled items were discarded. Hotel Vivera was also penalized for having 12 liters of expired soft drinks and 2 kg of old gravy. The Taj Palace Restaurant faced significant criticism for failing to present purchase bills and operating without a valid license, resulting in the destruction of 8 kg of stale raw chicken. Athidhi Restaurant on NH-44 similarly disposed of stale biryani and cooked chicken found in their refrigerator.
This collective enforcement effort highlights the seriousness with which Telangana’s Food Safety Taskforce is tackling food safety and hygiene issues across the state. As the campaign continues, the authorities aim to ensure that food outlets adhere to safety standards to protect public health.
Published – November 02, 2023, 01:31 PM IST
Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/telangana-food-safety-department-cracks-down-on-food-outlets/article70231956.ece
Category : Hyderabad
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Publish Date: 2025-11-02 13:31:00
