A statewide inspection by the Telangana Food Safety Department has uncovered shocking lapses in hygiene, licensing, and food handling at numerous popular pizza outlets, including major chains like Pizza Hut and Domino's.
The inspection drive, conducted by the Food Safety Task Force and Food Safety, covered 55 establishments across the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area and various districts.
Out of these, violations were found in a significant number of outlets, with the department flagging both major brands and local pizzerias for non-compliance.
There were multiple lapses involving major chains.
Out of 18 Pizza Hut outlets inspected, eight were found to have serious violations. The department noted that multiple outlets had licenses that didn't match their jurisdiction, and kitchens were storing vegetarian and non-vegetarian food together, risking cross-contamination.
Other issues included unclean machinery, lack of proper cleaning logs, unmaintained freezer temperatures, and failure to display licenses.
In some districts, medical certificates for staff were issued without a proper examination.
The other outlets belonged to Domino's.
Ten of 16 were flagged for violations. The most common issues were licenses not being displayed or, in one case in Nizamabad, an expired license being shown. Inspectors also found pest control was overdue, and food handlers were not wearing gloves or masks.
In a Mahbubnagar outlet, there was no segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, and staff lacked medical records and were not wearing gloves.
The inspection also brought to light similar concerns at smaller, independent pizzerias. Six of 21 local outlets were found to have violations, including Pizza Paradise in Hyderabad.
Here officials found overused oil, rusty ovens, unlabelled food items, and an open cooking area without an insect-proof mesh, making it prone to pests.
At Pizza Korner in Medak, the outlet was found with uncovered vegetables on workstations and no records for pest control or staff medical checks.
In response to the findings, the Food Safety Department immediately discarded unsafe food materials on the spot. They have issued strict instructions to all food businesses to rectify violations and adhere to safety standards. Samples were collected for further analysis.
