The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) has issued improvement notices to Rameshwaram Cafe in Madhapur, Hotel Shadab and Shah Ghouse Hotel and Restaurant in Gachibowli, while suspending the FSSAI licences of 11 other eateries following a special inspection drive in Madhapur, Hitec City and Gachibowli area of Hyderabad on Saturday (September 26).

The enforcement action followed inspections of 20 restaurants by 10 teams of TG SAFE’s Enforcement Wing, comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel, in the Core Urban Region.

TG SAFE said improvement notices would be issued to six establishments for lapses detected during inspections. Besides Rameshwaram Cafe, Hotel Shadab and Shah Ghouse Hotel and Restaurant, the list includes Ishtaa, Sahibs Barbeque and Pakka Local. The establishments will be re-inspected to verify compliance with food safety norms, following which further action will be taken, officials said.

Officials of the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs inspecting one of the restaurants. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The inspections also resulted in the suspension of FSSAI licences of 11 establishments, with TG SAFE directing them to stop business operations immediately in the interest of public health. The establishments include Monastery, Shivani The Restaurant and Bar, Al Saba Restaurant, Lucky Multicuisine Restaurant, Sai Ram Mess, Udupi’s Upahar, Coal Spark Multi Cuisine Restaurant, Kanchi Cafe, Antera Kitchen and Bar, Am Aha Telugu Kitchen and Bar , and Fusion 9/Amnesia Sky Bar.

The hygiene violations found at above restaurants were cockroach and rodent infection, fungal contamination of vegetables, unlabelled products, dirty kitchen floor, unhygienic wash area and prepared food and vegetarian and non-vegetarian food articles being stored together in refrigerators.

Adulterated food items found during an inspection by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs at a restaurant in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

TG SAFE said 21 food samples were lifted on suspicion of adulteration. Besides the improvement notices and licence suspensions, show-cause notices will be issued to 63 Degrees Modern Regional Buffet, Minerva Grand and Hotel Avasa. Further action will be initiated for imposing penalties against these establishments, they added.