Hyderabad: Task force raids mandi restaurant in Sainikpuri, flags hygiene violations

Hyderabad: A task force from the Telangana Commissioner of Food Safety conducted an inspection in Sainikpuri area on February 20, 2025, uncovering multiple food safety violations at a mandi restaurant.

The inspection conducted after receiving a complaint against The Arabian Mandi revealed serious violations, including the absence of a true copy of the FSSAI license displayed on the premises.

The food inspectors found that the establishment was preparing mayonnaise using raw eggs despite a ban imposed by the Government of Telangana. The officials discarded around 1 kg of mayonnaise prepared using the illegal method.

Apart from other violations, synthetic food colours were being used in the preparation of food in violation of FSSAI norms which prohibit the use of artificial colour in the food preparation.

The inspectors found nearly 15 kg of marinated raw chicken in unhygienic conditions in the refrigerator for more than a week. The storage space was rusty and showed blood stains.
The task force also detected cockroach infestation in the eatery’s refrigerator and kitchen room. Similarly, the cockroaches were found on electric pipes, switchboards, and on raw materials in the food preparation area.

They also found that the cooking staff were using cooking oil repeatedly for food preparation. No hygiene was observed in the kitchen area and dustbins were not covered with lids.

The facility also failed to provide pest control certification, medical records for food handlers and Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) documents.

Meanwhile, the task force officials have initiated action against the eatery as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006.