Telangana’s food safety authority has suspended the licences and registrations of five eateries, including a KFC outlet in Karimnagar and a Pista House outlet in Patancheru, after inspections found unsafe cooking oil, pest infestations, expired food items and poor hygiene practices.
The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) directed all five establishments to immediately suspend operations following inspections conducted across the state. The findings included improper food storage, inadequate kitchen cleanliness and conditions that could pose food-safety risks to customers.
At the KFC outlet in Karimnagar, officials found that the cooking oil used for French fries and chicken recorded total polar compound (TPC) readings of 31 and 35.5, respectively. The permissible limit is 25%. Officials seized around 90 litres of oil from the outlet. They also reported a foul smell in the thawing area, housefly infestation and unhygienic conditions inside freezers.
Inspectors found multiple violations at Pista House in Muthangi, Patancheru, including cockroaches, clogged drains and damaged utensils. Raw and cooked meat was reportedly stored together, raising concerns about cross-contamination in food preparation and storage areas.
Ganapathi Hotel Mess and Hostel at Patancheru bus stand was found to have cockroaches in food containers, rat droppings, rotten vegetables and expired food items. Officials also reported fungus in stored dal. The findings point to failures in both routine cleaning and the management of stored ingredients.
Nawabi Delights at Dhobi Ghat in Madannapet was flagged for poor cleanliness, signs of pest activity and inadequate hygiene among food handlers. At SK Bakers and Fast Food in Mehdipatnam, inspectors found expired food items, cooked rice kept uncovered beside a dustbin, housefly infestation and poor kitchen hygiene.
The inspections show that food-safety enforcement extends beyond restaurants in central Hyderabad to eateries, hostels and branded outlets in other urban centres and suburbs. The immediate suspension orders place responsibility on the establishments to address the violations before operations can resume, although the supplied report does not specify the conditions or timeline for reopening.
