Hygiene violations flagged at Burger King, other popular restaurants in Hyderabad’s Malakpet area

Telangana food safety task force uncovers hygiene violations at Malakpet restaurants, including expired food and improper storage.

The task force teams from Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety conducted inspections at well-known restaurants in Malakpet area of Hyderabad on Friday (September 27, 2024) and uncovered multiple hygiene violations.

At Pista House, the flooring was found to be slippery and improperly sloped, causing water stagnation in two drain areas. Inspectors discarded 4.5 kilograms of raw mutton and 200 grams of soya paneer that were past their expiry date. Additional violations included raw onions stored directly on the floor, cobwebs in the storeroom, and broken insect-proof screens, according to a release.

At Aazebo - The Royal Arabian Restaurant, inspectors found open windows without insect-proof screens, water stagnation in kitchen drains, uncovered food in refrigerators, and no temperature records for the refrigeration units. Additionally, dustbins were left open without proper lids. The unit’s FSSAI licence had not been renewed since September 15, 2024, and was not displayed. The restaurant lacked medical fitness certificates, pest control records, and water analysis reports for RO water.

At Burger King, inspectors found that palm oil being used to fry non-vegetarian items had a Total Polar Compound (TPC) value of 27.0, exceeding the permissible limit of 25.0. As a result, 15 litres of cooking oil was seized on the spot, the department said.