The Telangana Food Safety Department recently concluded a comprehensive, statewide inspection of pizza establishments, spanning both the bustling Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area and various other districts. This significant operation scrutinized a total of 55 pizza outlets, specifically targeting 18 Pizza Hut branches, 16 Domino’s Pizza locations, and 21 independent local pizzerias and bakeries. The findings were unsettling, revealing widespread deficiencies in hygiene, licensing compliance, and critical food safety protocols across a substantial number of these establishments.
The Telangana Food Safety Department conducted a thorough statewide inspection of pizza outlets, covering both the GHMC area and districts across the state.
Troubling Discoveries at Pizza Hut
Among the Pizza Hut outlets, operated by M/s Devyani International Limited and Sapphire Foods India Limited, a concerning eight out of 18 inspected locations were found in violation of established norms. Key issues included discrepancies in licenses and jurisdictional approvals within the GHMC, inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian ingredients, and uncleaned machinery in the Hanumakonda (Kazipet) branch. Furthermore, some Warangal outlets issued medical certificates without proper examinations, while branches in Nizamabad and Nalgonda exhibited poor management of freezer temperatures and hygiene records.
Inspectors found a range of issues, from improper storage to unclean equipment, raising serious questions about food preparation standards.
Domino’s Pizza Outlets Also Under Scrutiny
The inspections also brought to light significant issues at Domino’s Pizza outlets, operated by M/s Jubilant FoodWorks Limited, with 10 out of 16 inspected locations flagged for non-compliance. Violations included missing or expired licenses in both GHMC and Nizamabad, overdue pest control measures, and a noticeable absence of glove and mask usage among staff. The Hanumakonda (Subedari) branch was cited for unclean machinery, and a Mahabubnagar outlet failed to correctly segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
Local pizzerias and bakeries were not spared, with six out of 21 outlets also found to be non-compliant. Hyderabad-based Pizza Paradise and Master V Bakers were noted for operating with expired or entirely missing licenses, using overused cooking oil, selling unlabelled food items, and utilizing rusty ovens. Furthermore, their cooking areas were found to be open and lacked proper insect-proof barriers. Similarly, Medak’s Pizza Korner and La Pinoz Pizza in Kokapet/Narsingi were cited for uncovered vegetables, poor maintenance of pest control and medical records, and a failure to adhere to scheduled machinery cleaning. In immediate response to these alarming findings, all unsafe food materials were promptly discarded. Samples were collected from various locations for further laboratory testing, and all implicated Food Business Operators (FBOs) were issued stringent instructions to rectify the identified violations without delay to ensure public health and safety.