Telangana Hyderabad - Unhygienic Eateries Run Unchecked
Dead cockroaches, lizard tails, and lengths of hair have all been discovered in biryani served at hyderabad hotels in recent weeks. Consumers have expressed concern and frustration about the alarmingly unclean conditions at city eateries and street food booths. However, this is not the first time such food quality issues have been reported. In truth, it is a recurrent issue caused by an imbalance between the number of restaurants in the city and the number of Food Safety Officers (FSOs) available to conduct quality checks.
According to the ghmc website, there are 23 FSOs, which leaves a seven-person shortage assuming one is assigned to each of the 30 circles. These officers are responsible for monitoring food outlets, ensuring compliance, issuing registration to food business owners, investigating complaints, and collecting samples, as well as keeping records. While the number of FSOs has climbed from four a decade ago, the present count remains insufficient for the corporation that governs 650 square kilometers and has a population of over 80 lakhs!
With so many restaurants, cloud kitchens, street sellers, private and government hostels, supermarkets, and other places selling meals, police are compelled to bite more than they can chew, resulting in unregulated and substandard food quality. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of india (FSSAI), aside from the tests performed while issuing or renewing food licenses, all facilities should be inspected at least once a year. Due to a lack of staff, officials are hesitant to undertake checks until a complaint is filed.
If such is the case with established restaurants, roadside vendors selling pani puri, noodles, and other cuisines are mostly disconnected from the ecosystem, leaving them unaware of food safety regulations. These administrative loopholes represent a continuing and serious threat to the lives of city people, making them vulnerable to swallowing non-edible items and risking food poisoning. However, repeated attempts to contact the relevant authorities in ghmc for action to be made to check the quality of food in city eateries resulted in no response.
Social media to the Rescue
According to the ghmc website, there are 23 FSOs, which leaves a seven-person shortage assuming one is assigned to each of the 30 circles. These officers are responsible for monitoring food outlets, ensuring compliance, issuing registration to food business owners, investigating complaints, and collecting samples, as well as keeping records. While the number of FSOs has climbed from four a decade ago, the present count remains insufficient for the corporation that governs 650 square kilometers and has a population of over 80 lakhs!
With so many restaurants, cloud kitchens, street sellers, private and government hostels, supermarkets, and other places selling meals, police are compelled to bite more than they can chew, resulting in unregulated and substandard food quality. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of india (FSSAI), aside from the tests performed while issuing or renewing food licenses, all facilities should be inspected at least once a year. Due to a lack of staff, officials are hesitant to undertake checks until a complaint is filed.
If such is the case with established restaurants, roadside vendors selling pani puri, noodles, and other cuisines are mostly disconnected from the ecosystem, leaving them unaware of food safety regulations. These administrative loopholes represent a continuing and serious threat to the lives of city people, making them vulnerable to swallowing non-edible items and risking food poisoning. However, repeated attempts to contact the relevant authorities in ghmc for action to be made to check the quality of food in city eateries resulted in no response.
Social media to the Rescue
Citizens who confront a lack of sanitation or bad-quality food have few options for reporting their complaints. To submit a complaint with the ghmc hotline 040-21111111, one must know the circle where the restaurant is located, and FSOs may visit the place within two working days. As a result, only complaints made on X and tagged with the accounts of ghmc and Assistant Food Controller appear to be considered, requiring rapid action.