INDIA – The Commissioner of Food Safety under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has observed that Burger King Outlet at Malakpet in Hyderabad was using unsafe cooking oil.
The task force teams from Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety conducted inspections at well-known restaurants in Malakpet area of Hyderabad and uncovered multiple hygiene violations.
During the inspection at a Burger King Outlet at Malakpet in Hyderabad, the palm oil used for frying non-vegetarian items were found with Total Polar Compound (TPC) value beyond the permissible limit.
The TPC value found in the cooking oil was 27.0 which is beyond the permissible limit of 25.0. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), oil should not have more than 25% TPC and having more than 25% of TPC is not safe for human consumption.
At Pista House, the flooring was found to be slippery and improperly sloped, causing water stagnation in two drain areas.
Inspectors also found discarded 4.5 kilograms of raw mutton and 200 grams of soya paneer that were past their expiry date.
Additional violations included raw onions stored directly on the floor, cobwebs in the storeroom, and broken insect-proof screens, according to a release.
Similarly, Aazebo, the Royal Arabian Restaurant, inspectors found open windows without insect-proof screens, water stagnation in kitchen drains, uncovered food in refrigerators, and no temperature records for the refrigeration units.
In addition, dustbins were left open without proper lids. The unit’s FSSAI licence had not been renewed since September 15, 2024, and was not displayed. The restaurant lacked medical fitness certificates, pest control records, and water analysis reports for RO water.
In India, foodborne diseases are the 5th leading cause of disease burden and diarrhea is the third leading cause of childhood mortality.
A report from AIB International says that India faces many of the same problems that all developing food economies face.
Food manufacturing and processing facilities can lack the resources to maintain proper hygiene, resulting in contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. In India alone, there are an estimated 100 million foodborne illnesses every year, resulting in an average of 120,000 deaths.
In tandem with awareness campaigns, the FSSAI is working extensively to build regulatory and oversight infrastructure to continually improve food safety standards and compliance.
In addition to education, the FSSAI has become increasingly strict about enforcing standards and holding noncompliant businesses accountable for their impact on public health.
In fact, the increased testing and detection of food adulteration cases stems directly from the government’s more stringent investigation and enforcement policies.
