Nine Hyderabad eateries lose FSSAI licence after safety raid

On September 16, a joint sweep by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) and local police turned the bustling lanes of LB Nagar into a temporary food‑safety courtroom. Ten enforcement teams fanned out, checking roughly twenty restaurants, hotels and processing units in a single day.

The findings were anything but reassuring. Inspectors flagged spoilt and contaminated meat, vegetables that had clearly gone bad, and a parade of pests – cockroaches, houseflies and even rodents – making themselves at home in kitchens that should have been spotless. Expired packaged goods, synthetic food colours and shoddy record‑keeping added to the list of violations.

In the end, nine establishments saw their FSSAI licences pulled on the spot and were ordered to shut down until they could prove compliance. The list includes Hotel Sangeeth Grand Restaurant and Bar, Bahar Biryani Café, Balaji Pheni and Namkeen, Bhuvaneshwari Oil Industries, Hotel Sindhura East Court, Chemistry Bar and Kitchen at Surabhi Grand, New Limra Hotel, N Village Multicuisine Restaurant at Champapet, and Hotel Kinara Grand Restaurant and Bar at Vanasthalipuram.

At Sangeeth Grand, officials reported a full‑blown cockroach invasion, expired food items and the use of artificial colourants. Bahar Biryani Café, meanwhile, was riddled with rodent droppings, stale chicken, mutton and prawns, and a complete lack of segregation between vegetarian and non‑vegetarian dishes.

To back up their concerns, TG SAFE collected twenty food samples suspected of adulteration. Laboratory analysis later confirmed the presence of rotten vegetables, spoiled meat and raw ingredients – including groundnuts and flour – infested with insects.

Authorities have warned that any outlet found flouting the same standards will face similar punitive action. For now, the nine suspended businesses must halt operations, rectify the highlighted issues and re‑apply for their licences before they can welcome customers again.