GHMC steps up drive to check out hotel hygiene

Hyderabad: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) task force set up by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has inspected around 80 hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets in the city and found that 90 per cent were operating under unhygienic conditions. They will start imposing fines on June 1, where the violations are found.

For the last 40 days, the task force teams have been inspecting hotels, restaurants, bakeries, ice cream parlours and supermarkets across the city. They found widespread food adulteration and substandard conditions. They raided popular eateries and found irregularities in their work.

The popular eateries include Babylon Bar & Kitchen, Jubilee Hills, Hotel Shanbhag Deluxe, Punjagutta, Chutneys Restaurant, Punjagutta, Minerva Hotel, Kompally, Kritunga Restaurant, Kukatpally, Pista House, Uppal, Karachi Bakery, MJ Market, Cream Stone ice cream, Himayatnagar, Kamat Hotel, Lakdikapul, Rayalaseema Ruchulu, Lakdikapool, Shah Ghouse Multicuisine Restaurant, Lakdikapul, Kritunga Restaurant, Somajiguda, Baskin Robbins, Banjara Hills, Rameshwaram Café; Baahubali Kitchen, Madhapur. The task force found that kitchens and storerooms were infested with cockroaches and other insects. Many popular eateries were found selling expired food items, resorting to adulteration and illegal practices, storing unlabeled food items, stale meat, chicken, and vegetables, and without medical fitness. Cases were also filed under various acts; criminal cases are expected to follow after laboratory reports are received.

“After the lab reports are analysed, a penalty up to Rs 3 lakh for eateries and restaurants with poor sanitation and Rs 5 lakh for serving sub-par food to customers,” said a senior officer.

15 eateries inspected

in districts

According to the food safety officers, apart from Greater Hyderabad, the inspections were intensified in other districts. The local food safety officers are on a vigil in Khammam, Karimnagar, Medchal, Bhaddari, and others. In the last couple of days, the team has inspected more than 15 eateries in districts.

At Townhouse, Sri Bhadra Grand, Bhadrachalam, the officers found fungal infested ice-cream (88 lt) worth of Rs 39,600 and rotten eggs stored in refrigerator. Synthetic food colours are used in food preparation; eight kg biryani, 10 kg mandi rice, synthetic food colour lemon yellow was discarded. Food handlers were found without haircaps, gloves and aprons. Medical fitness certificates for food handlers and pest control records were not found with the FBO. The kitchens were open to outside environment without proper mesh/ barrier to avoid entry of pests or flies; dustbins were found open without lids. They also inspected Sri Gauthami Spice Restaurant, Raghavendra Hotel Tiffins & Meals, both in Bhadrachalam. At Rest Inn, Khammam, they found synthetic food colours were being used in food preparation; colour-coated and spoiled tandoori chicken, marinated chicken, fried chicken, chicken kebab were found at High Spirit Restaurant, Bypass Road, Khammam, Haveli Westside, NTR Bypass Road, Khammam.