Hyderabad food safety violations have led Telangana’s food and drug enforcement authority to suspend the FSSAI licences of nine Domino’s and KFC outlets and order them to stop operations immediately, following inspections that reportedly found cockroach infestation, rat droppings, expired products and poor kitchen conditions.
The action was taken by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) after a special enforcement drive across 26 outlets of the two food chains in the CURE region. The operation involved 13 teams comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel. Officials collected 20 food samples on suspicion of adulteration and seized around 52 kg of synthetic magnesium silicate.
The suspended KFC outlets are located at Madinaguda in Miyapur, Sindhi Colony, Punch Mohalla near Charminar, Moosarambagh, Banjara Hills, Shilpa Kala Vedika in Hitec City and Inorbit Mall in Madhapur. The two Domino’s outlets named in the action are at Sarath City Mall in Kondapur and Inorbit Mall in Madhapur.
According to the report, officials found water leakage, foul smell in the kitchen and the unauthorised use of magnesium silicate to filter used cooking oil at the KFC-Madinaguda outlet. The Sindhi Colony branch reportedly had a housefly infestation and was also using the substance to filter used oil. At the Punch Mohalla outlet, inspectors noted a foul smell in the chiller room and the unauthorised use of magnesium silicate.
The Moosarambagh KFC outlet was reported to have a rusty chiller room, water dripping in the cold room, fungal growth on walls, greasy utensils and cockroach infestation. Waterlogging in chillers and the use of magnesium silicate were reported at the Banjara Hills outlet. Officials also found unclean preparation equipment and utensils, along with the use of the substance, at the Shilpa Kala Vedika branch.
At Domino’s Sarath City Mall outlet, the inspection reportedly found cockroach infestation, expired products and no food-grade certificate for packaging material. At the Inorbit Mall branch, food handlers were allegedly working without hairnets and aprons. Officials also reported rat droppings, live cockroaches and an untidy storeroom at the outlet.
TG SAFE will issue improvement notices to eight other outlets: Domino’s branches at Nizampet, Miyapur, Himayathnagar and Malakpet, and KFC branches at Kondapur, Karkhana, Himayathnagar and Shaikpet. These outlets will be reinspected to assess compliance with food safety requirements.
Show-cause notices will also be issued to Domino’s outlets at Karkhana, Gachibowli and Hitec City, as well as KFC outlets at Nizampet and Gachibowli, for what officials described as serious violations. Further action, including penalties, will follow the notice process and subsequent enforcement review.
