The Telangana Food Safety Taskforce recently embarked on a significant statewide enforcement drive on November 1, scrutinizing 12 highway food establishments situated along three crucial national highways: NH-65 (Hyderabad–Vijayawada), NH-163 (Warangal–Hyderabad), and NH-44 (Kurnool–Hyderabad). These inspections spanned across Sangareddy, Warangal, and Jogulamba Gadwal districts, aiming to ensure public health and safety.
A major concern arose during the inspection of The Hotel NH-9 (The Palace Hotel) in Rudraram, Sangareddy, where officials discovered egregious violations. The hotel’s kitchen was found in an alarming state of disarray, characterized by severe unhygienic conditions, rampant pest and rodent infestations, and widespread improper food handling practices. Investigators noted uncovered and unlabelled food items, severely clogged drainage systems, and a complete lack of proper segregation between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food preparation areas. Furthermore, the use of synthetic food colors was suspected, raising serious health alarms.
As a direct consequence of these findings, the hotel’s operating license was immediately suspended under the stringent provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Inspectors promptly disposed of a staggering 107.5 kilograms of unsafe food, which included a variety of items such as prawns, fish, chicken, paneer, and gobi fry. The Commissioner of Food Safety confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that the establishment has been ordered to cease operations indefinitely until all necessary corrective actions are verified and final orders are issued by the relevant authorities.
Beyond this single incident, several other establishments also failed to meet basic hygiene and food safety standards. These included Taj Palace Hotel, Athidhi 44 Drive-In, and Lepakshi Restaurants along NH-44, as well as Minerva, Vivera, Utsav, and Orissa Dhaba on NH-65. Across these locations, common deficiencies ranged from generally poor kitchen cleanliness and improperly labelled food containers to the use of expired ingredients and the dangerous reuse of cooking oil. In response, seven food samples were collected for further analysis, and eight official improvement notices were issued, demanding immediate corrective measures.
The taskforce detailed specific actions taken against various establishments:
- Utsav Restaurant, Pedda Kaparathi (NH-65, Chityala Mandal): A significant amount of food, including 16 kg of stored meat and seafood, 3 kg butter, 20 kg red gravy, 10 kg Manchurian, 3 kg chicken lollipops, and 15 kg of artificially colored food, was immediately discarded due to safety concerns.
- Athidhi Restaurant, Koyalagudem (NH-65, Choutuppal): Officials removed 8 kg of spoiled chicken and meat, 5 kg of expired dry fruits, 10 liters of spoiled sauces, 12 kg of other compromised food items, and 1.5 kg of synthetic food colors from the premises.
- Sangam Hotel, Koyalagudem (NH-65, Choutuppal): This establishment was found with 2 kg of synthetic food colors; 8 kg of cooked food, stored without proper use-by labels, was discarded.
- The Fort Food Court (NH-163): Inspectors seized and discarded 6 kg of artificially colored prawns, corn, and chicken. Additionally, 15 kg of red gram dal, 9 kg of turmeric, 18 packets of noodles, and 12 kg of tamarind were confiscated due to defective labeling.
- Minerva Coffee Shop & Blue Fox Restaurant (NH-163): Here, 1 kg of synthetic food colors and 5 kg of products with inadequate labeling were removed.
- Hotel Vivera (NH-163): Authorities discarded 12 liters of expired cool drinks and 2 kg of gravy that had been stored improperly for an extended period.
- Taj Palace Restaurant (NH-44, Gadwal): This restaurant saw 8 kg of stale raw chicken and 3 kg of boiled vegetables destroyed. Notably, the management failed to produce proper bills and was operating without a valid license.
- Athidhi Restaurant (NH-44, Gadwal): Stale biryani pieces and improperly stored cooked chicken found in the refrigerator were immediately discarded.