Key Update

Hyderabad’s Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST), along with Kulsumpura Police, raided an illegal samosa manufacturing unit in Jiyaguda during a recent enforcement operation. Officials found that the unit was operating without a valid licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The facility also lacked a trade licence and fire safety clearance. Reports identified the unit’s operator as 73-year-old Abdul Rasheed, who was reportedly producing large quantities of samosas at the location.

Inspectors Find Spoiled Ingredients

During the inspection, officers discovered several serious food safety violations inside the unit. They found stale boiled eggs and cooking oil that had been reused multiple times. Officials said these practices violated basic food safety norms and posed potential health risks to consumers. Inspectors described the conditions inside the facility as “grossly unhygienic.”

Contaminated Food and Materials Seized

Authorities seized contaminated food items, raw materials, and equipment worth approximately ₹5 lakh during the raid. The seized materials included samosas, maida, sweet corn, and other ingredients used for preparation. Officials also confiscated preparation machines and other equipment used in the manufacturing process. According to reports, officers recovered around 500 spoiled boiled eggs, 5 kg of reused cooking oil, 350 egg samosas, 600 sweet corn samosas, and 1,000 onion samosas from the unit.

Owner Arrested and Case Registered

Police arrested Abdul Rasheed following the raid. Authorities registered a case against him under relevant food safety laws at the Kulsumpura Police Station. Task Force personnel and food safety officers supervised the operation as part of efforts to identify and shut down unsafe food manufacturing units in the area. Officials urged residents to report suspicious or unhygienic food units to the authorities. They emphasised that public vigilance can help identify unsafe food operations and support efforts to ensure safer food for consumers.

Source: Times Entertainment