In Hyderabad, numerous restaurants have repeatedly encountered food safety violations despite inspections leading to license suspensions
Hotel Shadab, flagged in 2024, had its FSSAI licence suspended in Sept 2026. Shah Ghouse and The Rameshwaram Cafe were flagged in May 2024 for poor storage, expired items and missing medical records, and again in Sept 2026. Pista House faced repeated violations in 2024, 2025 and Aug 2026, while Mehfil was flagged in June and Sept 2026. Absolute Barbeque, 4 Seasons, Hotel Alpha and Chutneys reported repeat lapses, including pest infestations and expired food. Another of my videos on chat shop in the Old City was shared about 15,000 times, led to boycott calls, and the vendor later installed glass counters at his Attapur outlet,” he recalled. Karnataka has directed food businesses to rectify hygiene and safety violations within 15 days or face legal action, while West Bengal has launched special inspections of restaurants, sweet shops and eateries. Maharashtra has introduced restrictions on junk-food sales within 50 metres of schools, prohibited serving food on newspapers and mandated licences for organisers of community and religious feasts.
Former Telangana food safety commissioner Sangeetha Satyanarayana said most restaurants know the rules, but poor storage, inadequate infrastructure and staff shortages undermine compliance. Once the inspector leaves, things often go back to the old way,” she added City-based food safety expert Anirudh Gupta said public exposure can also drive change. Restaurant owners acknowledged the gaps but said inspections have helped.
HYDERABAD: Several of the city’s popular eateries have repeatedly been flagged for food-safety violations, raising questions about the effectiveness of inspections and penalties. “Some owners find it cheaper to pay fines than invest in cold storage, pest control and staff training. Other states are tightening enforcement too. Satyanarayana called for fines proportionate to an establishment’s size and the severity of violations, escalating penalties for repeat offenders, and swift action-including stock seizure and licence suspension-for serious breaches involving expired food or unsafe storage.
“A branch that refused me drinking water served it on the first request six months later, after my social media video went viral last year, which shows repeated call-outs work.
