Key Update

Hyderabad police uncovered unhygienic production practices and the use of harmful chemicals, seizing 17,000 ice candies and lassi glasses worth an estimated ₹5.44 lakh. To carry out the operation, the police, along with the Commissioner’s Task Force, Golconda Zone, and Mehdipatnam Police, raided Aliya Ice Cream Parlour in Ahmed Nagar, Mehdipatnam. They arrested Syed Musharafuddin, 24, the owner, who had been preparing ice candies and lassi in unsanitary conditions with low-quality ingredients and chemicals to make illegal profits.

Large Quantity of Unsafe Food and Equipment

The authorities recovered 92 packets of ice candies, each containing 180 pieces, and 20 packets of lassi candies, each with 210 pieces. They also seized around 300 glasses of prepared lassi. Officers confiscated additional items, including 15 buckets of curd weighing 10 kg each, 50 kg of sugar, 8 kg of citric acid, 500 grams of sucrose, and flavourings such as mango, orange, and blueberry. Police also seized the machinery used for production—ice candy and lassi machines, packing machines, six refrigerators, and several packing covers—effectively shutting down the unit.

Investigators discovered ingredients placed directly on the dirty floor and production carried out in unsanitary surroundings. These unsafe practices endangered public health as the products were being distributed across the city. Police registered a case at Mehdipatnam Police Station under sections related to the sale of unsafe food and launched an investigation to trace the distribution network and identify any accomplices involved in the illegal operation.

Rising Concern Over Food Safety

This incident comes shortly after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shut down an ice candy unit in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in March. That inspection revealed multiple food safety violations, including the use of unsafe water, emphasising the ongoing need for strict monitoring of food production units across the country.

Source: NDTV