Most people think twice before eating street food because it is exposed to dust, traffic and pollution. Restaurants are usually seen as a safer option. People walk in, sit down and order food without worrying too much about how it is prepared.
The recent food safety raids in Hyderabad have raised serious concerns about that trust. Officials inspected restaurants in the Golconda and Charminar zones and found rotten vegetables and meat, expired ingredients, cockroaches, rat droppings and oil being reused repeatedly. Raw meat was also found stored alongside vegetarian food.
The licences of 14 restaurants have been suspended. They include Shaghouse Cafe, Hotel Nayab, Lucky Restaurant, Mehfil, Sohail Restaurant, Sri Raghavendra Udipi Veg Hotel, Sri Balaji Family Dhaba, Siddiq Kebab Central Kitchen, Al Saba, Dine Hill, Akshaya Tiffins, Venkateswara Hotel and Azeebo Royal Arabian Restaurant.
These are not minor lapses that can be brushed aside with a warning. People are eating this food without knowing what is happening in the kitchen. Food safety officials must ensure that the action does not end with raids and temporary suspensions. Restaurants that repeatedly put customers’ health at risk should face strict penalties, including permanent closure.
