Hyderabad: The Task Force of the Food Safety department continues its efforts to ensure safe and hygienic eateries in the city, as several restaurants were raided by officials on Sunday. They found rat faeces in popular Kishkinda Kitchen (Kake di hattii). Many restaurants were found violating several hygiene rules, expired food items and other food safety violations.

Following pouring complaints related to unhygienic conditions, serving stale food and discovering insects in food items, especially biryani, the officers pulled up their socks and initiated field inspections. They also inspected the popular hotels and restaurants, Poshnosh Lounge & Bar in Road no 36 Jubilee Hills, which were found to be violating several rules.

At in Kishkinda Kitchen, rat faeces were found at several places in storage suggesting rodent infestation and live cockroaches in the kitchen. Drains in the kitchen were found to be clogged with food waste. Water analysis reports, Fostac certificates and medical records of employees were not provided. Food handlers were found without gloves .The refrigerators were littered with food waste and not cleaned properly. Semi prepared food articles and raw materials, food and non-food items were stored together. Expired food items, including 1 litre Real Fruit Orange juice, 1.6 kg button mushrooms, 600 gm Sunflower Organo and 200 gm packed rai were found and discarded.

Poshnosh Lounge & Bar was found to be operating with an expired licence. The officers found the kitchen floor not equipped with drains to remove food waste. Kitchen had an opening to the outside without a window and insect proof screen. Veg and non-veg food, food and non-food items were found to be stored together. Expired and misbranded Sichuan pepper was found. They seized a product from Bangkok but importer details were not available. 1kg packed citric acid meant only for industrial use was found in the storage.

Expired food items, including 1 L soya sauce, 18 papad packets, 1 kg rasam powder, onion powder, kaju mix, 800 gm mushroom, 2 kg packed methi were found and discarded. Loose split cashew was found to be infested with insects. Water analysis reports, pest control records and Fostac certificates and medical records of employees were not provided. Refrigerators were not defrosted and cleaned properly.

On Saturday, the State level Task Force team inspected in Jangaon district Shakti Milk and Milk products. In Raghunathpally mandal the officers found houseflies and mosquitoes in stored ghee.

A dead lizard was found in proximity of food articles. Spider webs were observed on the roof. Pest control records and water analysis reports were unavailable. Equipment was found to be unclean, rusted and unsterilised.

Raw food items were stored in a haphazard manner. Certain labelling defects were observed on packed products; 20 kg curd was discarded due to contamination, fungal infestation and spoilage. Additionally, 1,700 kg curd was seized due to labelling violations and suspicion of substandard quality. Samples were collected for laboratory analysis.

Officer said that further action will be taken as per the provisions of FSS Act, 2006 and FSS Rules and Regulations, 2011.