A top Hyderabad restaurant popular for biryani and other dishes is using expired and stale ingredients and preparing food in unhygienic conditions, a Hyderabad Sanitation Department report has said. Indian Express, Citing food safety officials:
The horrifying discovery came to light after the Telangana state food safety department carried out inspections at several well-known eateries.
See also: Karachi bakery's expired goods: Hyderabad branch found violating regulations
“Most shocking is the lack of basic hygiene in the kitchens, use of expired products and inclusion of banned artificial colours in food preparations. Some of the kitchens have large dustbins with no lids,” Vijay Kumar, deputy food director, Telangana State Food Safety Commission, said in the report.
However, the restaurant claims that it prepares food in a hygienic environment.
Food safety officials claimed that during an inspection of the Shah Ghous restaurant, they found semi-cooked food stored in unhygienic conditions in the refrigerators and stagnant water in the kitchen.
See also: Noida McDonald's and Theobroma outlets undergo FDA inspection after customers fall ill
However, according to the report, the restaurant manager said, “We have never had a single customer complain about bad food in our restaurant.”
Officials also alleged that insects were found in flour and tamarind at Rayalaseema Rutur, while 100 kg of expired urad dal and 10 kg of yoghurt were seized from Rameshwaram Cafe.
“The trash cans in the kitchen were not covered. Many of the items in stock were not labeled,” officials said in the report.
In a statement, Rameshwaram Cafe founder Raghavendra Rao assured that the cafe is committed to maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and food safety.
He also said the restaurant had taken note of the food safety authorities' findings and had ordered an internal investigation.
“Customers have been voicing their dissatisfaction and grievances on social media and we are aware of it. We want to restore customer confidence that we are ensuring that food is prepared in hygienic and safe conditions,” the official said, according to the report.
You are on Mint! India's No.1 News Site (Source: Press Gazette). For more of our business coverage and market insights, click here!
