SHE Teams Expose Poor Hygiene at 173 Food Outlets

Fast food and biryani lovers in Visakhapatnam should be cautious, as recent raids by the Safety & Health Enforcement (SHE) teams of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) have exposed widespread food safety violations across roadside stalls, eateries, hotels, and restaurants in the city. Inspectors found stale ingredients, expired frozen meat, unauthorised food products, and poor kitchen hygiene in many of these establishments.

After forming the SHE teams in August to control the unchecked growth of food joints, GVMC deployed them across the city. These teams have already inspected 302 establishments, including both small vendors and well-known restaurants. Between September 1 and 9, they conducted 112 inspections and identified violations at 173 outlets—more than half of the outlets checked. Authorities imposed fines totalling ₹2.71 lakh, with individual penalties starting at ₹10,000, and issued formal warnings to several eateries.

GVMC Targets Unsafe Biryani, Fast Food Outlets

Officials observed that many newly opened food outlets focus more on cutting costs than maintaining quality, especially when preparing fast food and biryani. Even several well-known restaurants violated basic food handling and hygiene standards. During surprise inspections, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg personally identified serious violations at a reputed restaurant.

Stronger Food Safety Checks Rolled Out with SHE Teams

Currently, 16 SHE teams operate across the city, each comprising a Sanitation Supervisor, a Food Inspector, and Sachivalayam staff. GVMC assigns two teams to each zone, and it requires every team to inspect at least three food joints per day. The corporation plans to double the number of teams soon to intensify enforcement.

This initiative aims to raise food quality standards throughout Visakhapatnam. Officials also noted that many establishments unknowingly use ingredients that lack approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In July, the Food Safety Department filed cases against nearly 70 establishments—including restaurants, bakeries, and sweet shops—for similar violations.

Source: The Hindu