No let-up in crackdown on eateries; rat poop found in Chinese food joint

Hyderabad: The Task Force of the Food Safety Department of Telangana continues its efforts to ensure safe, hygienic eateries in the city, as various restaurants were raided by officials. During the raid, they found rat faeces in Bowl ‘O’ China and many other popular restaurants. These were found to be violating several hygiene rules; expired food items and other food safety violations were also found.

Following complaints related to unhygienic conditions, serving stale food, and discovering insects in food items, especially biryani, the Food Safety officers initiated field inspections. They inspected popular hotels and restaurants in Begumpet, including Manohar Restaurant, Bowl ‘O’ China, and New Urvashi Bar and Restaurant.

Bowl ‘O’ China was found to be violating several hygiene rules. Rat faeces were found in the storage area, while windows were not closed and fitted with nets to prevent insect infestation. The kitchen flooring was found to be patchy. Water stagnation was seen near the cleaning area. Food items kept in the refrigerator were not covered and not labelled. The management failed to provide and display a copy of the FSSAI license.

The officials found unsafe conditions in Manohar, including expired food ingredients and flavouring agents. They also found spoilt vegetables in the pantry like carrots, tomatoes, onions, and coriander. Expired food articles like Tooty-Fruity (expired in September 2023) and Koranda (expired in April 2024) were found and discarded. The drains were not cleaned properly and were filled with stagnant water. A live cockroach infestation was found in the kitchen, while bread prepared and kept in cold storage was found without any cover.