TG SAFE suspends licences of 14 eateries in Hyderabad over food safety violations

Hyderabad: The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) has suspended the FSSAI licences of 14 restaurants and eating establishments and issued show-cause notices to eight others following inspections that revealed serious food safety violations in the Golconda and Charminar zones.

A total of 22 enforcement teams comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel inspected 22 establishments on Saturday. The teams detected unhygienic kitchens, cockroach and housefly infestations, rotten vegetables, fungal contamination, expired food products and improper storage of food items.

The establishments whose licences were suspended include Hotel Sri Raghavendra Udupi Veg at Tolichowki and Santosh Nagar, Lucky Restaurant at Santosh Nagar, Shah Ghouse Cafe at Shahalibanda, Hotel Nayaab at Nayapul, Sri Balaji Family Dhaba at Gudimalkapur, Siddique Kabab Central Kitchen, Alsaba Hotel at Tolichowki, Mehfil Restaurant at Dilsukhnagar, Dine Hill Restaurant at Masab Tank, Sohail Restaurant and Hotel Akshaya Tiffins at Malakpet, Hotel Venkateshwara at MJR Road and Aeezebo The Royal Arabian Restaurant at Rethibowli.

The authority directed all 14 establishments to immediately stop business operations in the interest of public health.

Show-cause notices were issued to Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hotel Sabzi at Charminar, Pista House at Shahalibanda, Sweekar Hotel at Santosh Nagar, Mandi at 36 Arabian Kitchen, Golconda Hotel and Resorts at Masab Tank, Imperial Multicuisine Restaurant at Tolichowki and Taiba Bakery at Bazarghat. Further action, including penalties, will be initiated against them.

During the drive, officials collected 21 food samples on suspicion of adulteration and discarded 544 kg of spoiled vegetables, leftover food, expired products and pest-infested food articles. Another 13 kg of used cooking oil suspected to have been repeatedly used for frying was also discarded.

At Siddique Kabab Central Kitchen, officials found live cats roaming inside the kitchen, a heavy housefly infestation and rat droppings. At Aeezebo, cockroaches were found in the drinking water storage tank, while vegetables showed fungal contamination. Several establishments were also found using newspapers to cover food items and storing raw and cooked food together.