Hyderabad: Lax standards in Moosapet and Santosh Nagar restaurants

The restaurants were found to follow improper food storage practices and were infested with cockroaches.

At Kritunga Restaurant in Moosapet, health officials discovered cockroaches scuttling across the kitchen, an immediate threat to food safety. The kitchen premises were described as “extremely unhygienic,” with uncovered and improperly labelled food articles. “No records of medical fitness certificates or pest control measures were maintained, which is highly unacceptable,” an inspector commented.

A litany of hygiene issues were discovered at Hotel Sweekar at Santosh Nagar. The FSSAI licence was missing from display. Medical fitness certificates for food handlers were absent, and peeling paint and water stagnation further worsened the kitchen’s state.

“Food handlers must wear appropriate gear to ensure hygiene, but here we saw headgear, caps, and aprons being neglected,” noted the task force.

A live cockroach infestation in kitchen racks and expired Malabar parotas were also observed, with the latter immediately discarded. Other violations included slippery floors, improperly stored rice bags, and vegetables like onions and potatoes being kept directly on the floor. The absence of dustbins, with some gunny bags serving as a substitute, exemplified the poor waste management practices.

Swathi Hotel in Santosh Nagar fared no better. The display board carried a different name from the licence — Hotel Swagath — a discrepancy that raises questions about its legality. The inspection revealed broken tiles at the rice preparation area, stagnant water on the kitchen floor, and the use of suspected synthetic food colours in prepared dishes. Open dustbins, uncovered and unlabelled food in refrigerators, and inadequate pest-proofing on windows and doors were also flagged. “We saw food grain bags stacked with no gap from the walls, which encourages pests,” an official said.

Hotel Sri Raghavendra Udipi was another major offender. The absence of medical fitness certificates and pest control records, water stagnation and slippery kitchen floors compounded the risks. Refrigerators were found in an unhygienic state, with unlabelled and uncovered food items. Live cockroach infestations were found in the grinding area and store, while improperly

stored wheat flour bags were spotted with fungus-infested ginger being kept in the store.