Raids on restaurants continue, find live cockroaches in premises

Hyderabad: Continuing raids against unhygienic measures and food violations in Hyderabad, the Task Force of the Food Safety Department of Telangana raided restaurants in Secunderabad. They found live cockroaches and rats on the premises.

The raids at Blue Sea Tea and Snacks, Regimental Bazar, and Sree Sai Balaji Foods, SD Road, Secunderabad, found various food safety violations, including cockroach infestations inside the kitchen premises.

At popular Blue Sea Tea and Snacks, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence was not displayed. There was no adequate space in the kitchen, leading to improper cleaning and the presence of cockroaches and rats.

Walls were found patchy and covered with spillage; there was no proper ventilation and lighting fixtures and no proper dustbins. The restaurant was found running without medical fitness certificates and FoSTaC training certificates.

At Sree Sai Balaji Foods, officers found the kitchen floor littered with food waste and stagnant water observed in a clogged wash basin.

Additionally, veg and non-veg items, food and non-food items were found to be stored together, and rotten lemons were in storage. Some refrigerators were found to be dirty and littered with food waste.

Food articles like buns, tea powder, and biryani masala were found without any labelling.

The food safety officers also raided Karimnagar district and found multiple violations at various eateries on October 10 and 12. At Maitri Hotel, Karimnagar, severe food safety violations were found in the kitchen, including roofs pestered with cobwebs and spiders, causing oil deposition.

The kitchen also had unhygienic conditions in the store and cooking areas. Semi-cooked food items were kept exposed to flies with open dustbins.