When you go to a restaurant or buy food from a store, you assume it’s safe to eat, right? But if the people handling your food aren’t following proper hygiene practices, you could end up with a dreaded case of food poisoning. On Friday, September 13, food safety officials raided and inspected several eateries in Secunderabad’s Vidyanagar area and found several food safety violations. The inspections, conducted by the task force teams of Telangana’s Food Safety Commissioner, revealed alarming lapses in food safety and handling practices at several eateries in Hyderabad, including Emerald Mithai Shop, Subway, Rollzone and Good Fresh – The Pizza House.
Also read: Multiple food safety violations found at establishments in Hyderabad’s Begum Bazaar
The Task Force team has conducted inspection in Vidyanagar area on 13.09.2024.
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*Pest control and medical fitness certificate are not available.
*No Fostak Trainees available.
* Wood Door Cover with Oil Pressed… pic.twitter.com/v3Rkh4I6Th
— Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana (@cfs_telangana) September 14, 2024
At Emerald Mithai Shop, inspectors found no pest control and medical fitness certificates. Also, no FOSTAC-trained staff was present, and the wooden door to the oil manufacturing area was left open without an insect-proof screen. The shop also displayed unlabeled sweets and namkeen and found open dustbins without lids. Some of the items sold at the shop did not have FSSAI certifications, and those handling food items were not wearing gloves or aprons.
Violations of hygiene norms were also found at Subway. Semi-finished items and ready-to-cook food items did not have proper labels, and use-by dates were missing. Gaps between storage racks and walls were not maintained, leading to a risk of pest infestation. Also, the fast-food chain outlet did not have a FOSTAC-trained supervisor.
Also read:Inspection of restaurants in Hyderabad’s Hitech City reveals food safety violations
Similar violations were found at Rollzone and Good Fresh – The Pizza House. Rollzone did not display its FSSAI licence, and food items kept in refrigerators were not labelled. People handling food items were also not wearing the required protective gear like head caps, aprons or gloves. At Good Fresh, the FSSAI registration copy was not displayed on the premises, and medical fitness and pest control records were missing.
Earlier, FSSAI had shared some food safety tips to follow during the monsoon season:
- Wash all food items bought from the market thoroughly before cooking.
- Keep yourself and your surroundings clean, and wash your hands with soap and water before cooking and eating.
- Use only clean water for cooking.
- Eat freshly cooked foods and cook only as much as you need.
- To avoid the growth of microorganisms, refrigerate leftover food as soon as it cools down.
- Reheat leftover food thoroughly before eating it.
- Keep perishable items like milk and curd in the refrigerator immediately.
- Use fresh and local food products.
- Include immunity-boosting foods like black pepper, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and turmeric in your diet. Read more here.
