Hyderabad’s food safety task force conducted a series of inspections across restaurants in the Narayanaguda and Lakdikapul areas, revealing serious food safety violations. The team discovered multiple hygiene issues, expired ingredients, and improper practices at several establishments.
At Hotel Ashoka, inspectors uncovered a severe cockroach infestation in the kitchen. They also found large amounts of expired food, including rosemary that had been past its expiration date since September 2023 and cut chicken that had expired in January 2025. Rotten vegetables, such as brinjal and cauliflower, were discarded. The team also observed the use of synthetic food colors during meal preparation, which is against food safety regulations. Additionally, the kitchen was flagged for its untidy condition, with dirty walls, floors, and a foul odor lingering in the area. Some of the kitchen vessels, both in and outside of the refrigerator, were found to be rusty. A critical violation was the absence of a trained FoSTaC supervisor, despite the establishment employing over 140 workers. Furthermore, the task force discovered that water analysis reports were missing from the premises.
The task force then visited the Indian Durbar Restaurant in Narayanaguda, where similar concerns were raised. Synthetic food colors were again being used, and expired ingredients, including masala powder, cumin powder, flavored syrups, and chili flakes, were removed. The restaurant was found to have a severe cockroach infestation, and several items like tomatoes, green chilies, and carrots were found to be rotten or infested with fungus. A number of unsafe storage practices were observed, such as sanitary products stored alongside food in the storeroom and boiled eggs kept near drains without any covering. The restaurant also failed to label the food with preparation and use-by dates in the refrigerator. Additionally, kitchen staff were not wearing aprons, and the restaurant lacked pest control records and medical fitness certificates for food handlers.
Earlier in the day, the food safety task force had also inspected food establishments in the Jubilee Hills area, where similar violations, such as expired food, infestations, and poor storage practices, were uncovered at a restaurant and bar.