Hyderabad: Three Mandi restaurants caught for poor hygiene and cockroach infestation

Hyderabad: Cockroach infestation in kitchens, unhygienic refrigerators with meat remnants and blood, other issues found during inspection of Mandi restaurants in the city. Food inspectors of the Commissioner of Food Safety detected serious food safety violations in the eateries during inspections at Mandi Town and Mandi King Royal in Khairtabad and Mandi 35 Arabian Kitchen in Banjara Hills. At Mandi Town, food inspectors found live cockroach infestation in the kitchen and refrigerators were found in very unhygienic condition with meat remnants and blood remnants spread around, floors were dirty and food remnants were scattered, kitchens did not have drains to ensure proper cleanliness. Synthetic food colours were found and later thrown away, drinking water tank was not cleaned properly and dead insects were found in it. Food items in refrigerators were open and unlabeled and raw meat like chicken, mutton etc. were put in refrigerators in an unhygienic manner, which may lead to contamination. At Mandi 36, Arabian Kitchen, Banjara Hills, stains were found on the floor, the kitchen ceiling was dark and sooty, the chimney was greasy, dusty and dirty, the exhaust did not have mesh to prevent the entry of insects, iron knives were found to be used in the kitchen, grilling pans were black, greasy and dirty. Food items in the refrigerator were covered but not labelled, vegetables like mint leaves were found in poor condition and were later thrown away by the inspection teams. Some food items were found kept on the ground and there was no proper gap between the walls and the storage racks. At Mandi King Royal, Khairtabad, the task force team reported that refrigerators were in unhygienic condition as they did not have defrost facility, water droplets were falling on open food items, the kitchen floor and wash area were dirty and littered with food waste. Drains were clogged and chimneys were greasy and dirty. Rusty iron knives were being used in the facility. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items, raw and semi-cooked food were kept together in refrigerators. Raw meat including chicken, mutton etc were kept in refrigerators in unhygienic conditions, which may lead to contamination.