'Expired, Unlabelled': Food Safety Raid Unearths Several Violations At Rameshwaram Cafe In Hyderabad

The task force team found several unlabeled and products, including a 100 kg stock of Urad Dal worth Rs 16,000 which expired in March, 2024. Another such product was 10 kg of Nandini Curd and 8 litres of milk worth Rs 700. The inspecting team, "discarded the items on the spot".

Other than this, the food safety department's team also seized "improperly labelled" 450 kilograms of raw rice, 20 kgs of White lobia (pulse), all worth Rs 26,000. Additionally, it seized 300 kilograms of unlabelled jaggery, costing Rs 30,000.

The team noted that the food handlers did not have any "medical fitness certificates", adding that among the hygiene issues, the dustbins were not properly covered with lids.

The Rameshwaram Cafe is a famous South Indian food chain from Bengaluru, having multiple outlets in the city. Several tourists, including the likes of many celebrities, have been spotted relishing the delicacies the eatery has to offer.

The food safety task force also raided Baahubali Kitchen in the Madhapur area. There it found and discarded synthetic food colours.

Citing severe hygiene hazards, the department said that "pest control records" were not found. "Heavy cockroach infestation observed in kitchen and cockroaches found on food articles inside store room," it said.

The task force termed the kitchen premises to be "very unhygienic", adding that water stagnation was also observed in the cleaning area.

The eatery had reportedly stored semi-cooked and raw food improperly in the refrigerator. Here also, the medical fitness certificate for food handlers was not found.

"FSSAI License True Copy was not displayed at the premises," the food safety department's team noted.

Earlier this week, the task force had raided and inspected restaurants and eateries in the city's Banjara Hills area, including Labonel Fine Baking, Manam Chocolate Karkhana and Baskin Robbins.