Hyderabad, known for its famous biryani, haleem and diverse food culture, has come under scrutiny after data on food hygiene compliance and safety ratings showed the city lagging behind other major Indian metros. According to recent Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)-related data, Hyderabad has one of the lowest adoption rates of official food hygiene ratings among major cities.
Low adoption of hygiene ratings
Only around 2% of eateries in Hyderabad have received official hygiene ratings, placing the city at the bottom among major metros in this category.
The rating system is meant to help customers identify food outlets following better safety practices.
Officials said reluctance among food businesses to participate in the rating programme has affected overall compliance visibility.
Why is Hyderabad facing food safety concerns?
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- Poor kitchen hygiene practices
Food safety inspections have reported issues such as:
Improper food storage
Lack of pest control
Unclean kitchens
Poor waste management
Expired or improperly stored ingredients
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- Restaurant inspections reveal violations
During inspections by food safety authorities:
Several eateries were found violating food safety rules.
Problems included unhygienic preparation areas, poor sanitation, and improper handling of raw materials.
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- Shortage of enforcement resources
Reports have pointed out challenges such as:
Limited number of food safety officers
Difficulty monitoring thousands of food establishments
Need for more frequent inspections and testing
Food safety raids in Hyderabad
Authorities have increased inspections across:
Restaurants
Bakeries
Sweet shops
Street food outlets
Cloud kitchens
Some inspections found issues including:
Unclean utensils
Poor refrigeration practices
Missing hygiene documentation
Pest-related problems
Government response
The Telangana Food Safety Department and GHMC have intensified:
Surprise inspections
Food sample testing
Enforcement actions
Awareness drives among food businesses
Officials have said that the action is aimed at improving standards rather than targeting the entire food industry.
Residents have raised concerns over:
Increasing food outlets after rapid urban growth
Food poisoning incidents
Quality of ingredients used by some establishments
However, Hyderabad continues to remain a major food destination, with many restaurants following proper safety practices.
What customers can do
Consumers are advised to:
Prefer outlets with FSSAI licences displayed
Check hygiene ratings where available
Avoid places with visibly poor cleanliness
Be cautious with improperly stored dairy, meat and ready-to-eat food
