TG-SAFE raids Hyderabad cafes, finds several food safety violations

TG-SAFE enforcement teams inspected 19 cafes and snack points in Hyderabad, detecting expired food, poor hygiene, pest infestation, and lack of valid FSSAI licenses. Several establishments were shut or issued notices, with samples lifted for adulteration tests.

Hyderabad: The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) conducted a special enforcement drive at cafes and snack points in Hyderabad’s core urban region and found several food safety violations, including operation without valid FSSAI licences, poor hygiene, expired food products and improper storage of food articles.

According to officials, nine enforcement teams comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel inspected 19 cafes and snack points on Wednesday.

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During the inspections, officials found open dustbins, littering, food handlers without headgear, houseflies and cockroach infestation, and lapses in the handling and storage of food items at some establishments.

Officials also found expired and spoiled food articles and violations of food labelling and display regulations. Several establishments were also unable to produce required records, including FoSTaC training certificates, health records of food handlers and pest-control documentation.

Dreamz Cafeteria at Bagh Lingampally and Asiatic Café at Panjagutta were closed for operating without valid FSSAI licences or registrations. The FSSAI licence of Shadab Hotel at Madina building was suspended and the management was directed to immediately stop business operations following multiple violations related to hygiene, sanitation and storage of meat and other food articles.

TG SAFE officials discarded perishable food items that were exposed to dust and flies at the spot. Other products, including tea powder, ginger-garlic paste and biscuits suspected to be adulterated, were seized and samples sent for analysis. A total of 15 food samples were lifted on suspicion of adulteration, said a press release.

Improvement notices will be issued to several establishments, including Café Persia, Bahar Biryani Café, Café Deccan, Honeymoon Café, Rio Restaurant, Aromale Hospitality, Friends and Café, Diamond Point Hotel, Hotel Imroz, Blue Sea Tea and Snacks, Nimra Café and Bakery and Gulzar Foods (Persis Café).

Show-cause notices are also being issued to Golden Café, Dreamz Cafeteria, Mirosa Café and Kitchen (Fyra Foods), Asiatic Café and Shadab Hotel for the violations detected during inspections. Further action, including imposition of penalties, will be taken based on the findings and subsequent compliance.

TG SAFE officials said the establishments served with improvement notices would be re-inspected to verify compliance with food safety norms.