Zero Tolerance for food adulterators

121 tonnes of adulterated food seized as H-FAST tightens its grip across Hyderabad

metro india news  I hyderabad

Hyderabad's fight against food adulteration has gathered significant momentum, with the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) registering 185 cases and seizing nearly 121.87 tonnes of adulterated and unsafe food products within just 100 days of its launch. The special enforcement unit, formed on March 19 under the Hyderabad City Police, has intensified raids across the city in coordination with GHMC, Food Safety and Veterinary departments to crack down on businesses endangering public health.

Officials described food adulteration as one of the most serious threats to society. warning that contaminated food is contributing to chronic illnesses such as kidney disorders, heart disease and cancer while affecting the physical and mental development of children. They said ensuring access to safe food is a basic right and remains the primary objective of the specialised task force.

Led by the Task Force DCP and supported by a 36-member trained team, H-FAST carried out extensive inspections across Hyderabad. Rajendranagar Zone recorded the highest number of cases with 55, followed by Golconda (44), Secunderabad (35), Charminar (21), Shamshabad (13), Jubilee Hills (12) and Khairatabad (5).

The seizures exposed the scale of food adulteration operating in the city. Police confiscated over 27 tonnes of adulterated ginger-garlic paste in 27 cases and nearly 25.8 tonnes of chemically ripened fruits in 16 cases. More than 60 tonnes of chicken waste linked to illegal sales were seized in six cases. Authorities also recovered over 15 tonnes of poor-quality chicken and meat, 9.26 tonnes of stored pickles, 4.03 tonnes of adulterated khoa, 3.9 tonnes of fake tea powder, 3.26 tonnes of adulterated cream, 2.7 tonnes of substandard dry fruits and dates, 2.5 tonnes of adulterated curd, 1.5 tonnes of adulterated paneer, 530 kg of adulterated ghee and 120 kg of poor-quality fried chicken from fast-food outlets. Separate cases were also registered against ice cream, biscuits, RO water plants and junk food manufacturers.

Besides criminal action, H-FAST referred 247 cases to GHMC Food Safety Officers for further legal proceedings. These included 90 public complaints, 70 cases involving paneer outlets, 11 samosa manufacturing units, nine water packaging plants, seven spice manufacturers, six bakeries, six fast-food centres, five Zepto-linked complaints and several cases involving hostels, meat shops, ice manufacturing units and seafood businesses.

CS orders continuous food safety checks

Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju has directed officials to intensify efforts against food adulteration across Telangana, following instructions from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Saturday, he ordered continuous inspections with special focus on adulterated food products and strict enforcement of food safety regulations.

Jaju asked the Drug Control and Food Safety departments to work in close coordination and submit proposals within a week to bring both departments onto a common platform for better efficiency. He also directed officials to study best practices adopted by other States and prepare an implementation plan for Telangana. The meeting reviewed registered cases, investigation progress, staffing and related issues. CM’s Advisor K. Ramakrishna Rao, DGP C.V. Anand, senior CMO, Health, GHMC, Intelligence and Drug Control officials attended the meeting.