Telangana’s food safety authority raided 16 dark stores in Hyderabad, suspending four licences. The raids uncovered severe hygiene violations, including cockroach infestations, expired stock, rotten vegetables, and rusted racks, prompting immediate action.
Stepping up oversight on quick-commerce operations, the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) has raided 16 dark stores belonging to retail platforms across the city, suspending four licences due to severe hygiene violations, cockroach infestations, and expired stock.
Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs conducted special drives with 10 enforcement teams comprising Food Safety Officers and police personnel and inspected 16 dark stores.
Alarming Violations Exposed During Inspections
According to TG SAFE, the inspections exposed alarming breaches of food safety standards. Teams flagged unhygienic premises characterised by unhygienic premises with dusty and rusted racks, cobwebs, improper flooring, damaged and expired food articles, violations in handling and storage, spoiled vegetables with fungal infestation, violations of FSS Labelling and Display Regulations, cockroach infestation, pest-infested food articles and improper maintenance of cold room temperature.
Regulatory Actions and Licence Suspensions
According to TG SAFE, a total of 15 samples were lifted from the premises on suspicion of adulteration, while formal improvement and show-cause notices were issued to multiple outlets. Due to acute health hazards, the regulatory licences of four specific establishments were suspended with immediate orders to halt business operations over severe infractions, which included heavy cockroach infestations, rotten vegetables, rusted shelving, co-storing food with non-food items, extensive expired inventory, and visible mould growth.
Statewide Ban on Artificial Paneer
Similarly, earlier in September, the Telangana government enforced a strict one-year statewide ban on the production, distribution, and sale of artificial and non-dairy analogue paneer for one year to safeguard public health.
Commissioner Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential drugs (TG SAFE) stated, “It is to inform that In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (a) of Sub-section (2) of Section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and in the interest of public health, Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana State issued orders prohibiting the manufacture, processing, packing, storage, distribution and sale of non-dairy/artificial paneer/analogue paneer in any form throughout the State of Telangana for a period of one year with immediate effect from 10.09.2026. The order is notified in the official gazette bearing No. 807 dated 10.09.2026.”
Previous Enforcement Drive in Kukatpally
Earlier, Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) conducted a special enforcement drive in the Kukatpally area of Hyderabad, inspecting 20 food establishments and suspending the FSSAI licences of five establishments over food safety and hygiene violations. (ANI)
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