Stale Food, Cockroaches, Rat Droppings

Found at Hyderabad Restaurants During Food Safety Inspections

Hyderabad, July 5 — A wave of surprise inspections carried out by the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) has uncovered widespread hygiene violations at restaurants, cafés, supermarkets,

and quick-commerce outlets across Hyderabad, exposing pest infestations, expired products, and unsafe food-handling practices at multiple well-known establishments.

The CMC's food safety teams have been conducting a rolling inspection drive across Cyberabad in recent weeks, covering commercial hubs such as Madhapur, Kondapur, Gachibowli, Hitec City, Kukatpally, and Madinaguda. The findings, officials say, point to a pattern of persistent negligence in basic hygiene practices across many of the city's food outlets.

Cockroaches, rat burrows, and expired stock

At Ideal Kitchen in Madhapur, one of the most alarming cases, inspectors found dead cockroaches on batter stored inside a freezer, along with insects infesting stored urad dal. At Fire Water Fine Dining in Hitec City, officials discovered cockroach infestations and rat droppings in the storage area, alongside raw chicken kept unwrapped directly in the freezer and a rusted freezer interior. The restaurant scored 62 percent in its hygiene assessment.

Swagruha Foods in Gajularamaram was found to have rat burrows near its packing area and a sugar-beetle infestation in stored jaggery, while at a Zepto quick-commerce facility in the same area, a citizen complaint about expired milk products led inspectors to a live cockroach infestation, rusted storage racks, and inadequate spacing between shelving and walls.

Stale and expired food discarded on the spot

Several outlets were found serving or storing food well past safe consumption limits. At The Food Planet in Chandanagar, officials discarded expired raw mutton and unlabelled curd after finding greasy kitchen exhausts and pipelines. At Kondapur's Wah Mandi, stale cooked mandi, boiled eggs, and chicken wings were pulled from shelves on the spot. Palamuru Grill Bar & Restaurant in Kondapur was found with stale food, expired mushrooms, and tampered labels on prepared items, alongside a rusted, water-logged freezer; it scored 60 percent in its assessment.

At Baisakhi Family Dhaba in Kandlakoya, inspectors flagged expired baby corn and black pepper masala, along with the use of synthetic food colouring in Chinese dishes, missing FSSAI and trade licences, absent pest-control and staff medical-fitness records, and dead flies inside a refrigerator. Rusted iron knives being used for food preparation were confiscated on the spot — a violation also recorded separately at Krishna Cafe in Gajularamaram, where management was instructed to switch to stainless steel alternatives.

Poor sanitation and unsafe storage across the board

Beyond pest infestations, inspectors repeatedly flagged unsafe storage and sanitation practices. At Mandi King in Gachibowli, which scored just 52 percent, raw and cooked meat were found stored together uncovered, cooking oil was being reused, and floors were wet and unhygienic. Shah Gouse Restaurant in Raidurg had houseflies in the kitchen, an unhygienic non-vegetarian cutting area, and open drains clogged with food waste. At Rameshwaram Cafe near Image Gardens, teams found butter being thawed in water next to a drain and a grinding-area drain clogged with food particles.

Iguru Restaurant in Khajaguda was cited for houseflies across the kitchen, dishwashing area, and store room, along with unlabelled prepared items and refrigerators that were not properly demarcated for different food types. Mouldy cauliflower and unlabelled vegetables were discarded during the visit.

Officials issue warnings, order corrective action

In each case, CMC officials issued improvement notices and directed the restaurant managements to rectify the deficiencies within a set timeframe. Authorities have warned that establishments failing to comply could face further action under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The inspection drive appears to be continuing, with the CMC's official channels regularly posting updates on newly inspected establishments, including both violations found and any good practices observed, such as proper pest control or hot-water sanitisation of utensils where present.

The scale and consistency of the violations — spanning popular chains, quick-commerce warehouses, and neighbourhood eateries alike — have raised broader questions about routine self-regulation in the food service industry and the adequacy of existing inspection frequency, even as the CMC continues to expand the geographic reach of its checks across Hyderabad's Cyberabad zone.