100 days of H-FAST: 185 cases, 121 tonnes of adulterated food seized

According to police, the Rajendranagar Zone topped the list with 55 cases, followed by 44 in Golconda , 35 in Secunderabad

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) has registered 185 cases and seized 121.87 tonnes of adulterated and unsafe food products during its first 100 days of operations, underscoring an intensified crackdown on food adulteration across the city.

The specialised wing of the Hyderabad City Police was launched nearly three months ago and works in coordination with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Food Safety and Veterinary departments to identify and dismantle networks involved in the manufacture and sale of adulterated food through regular raids and surprise inspections.

Rajendranagar, Golconda record the highest cases

According to police, the Rajendranagar zone recorded the highest number of cases at 55, followed by Golconda (44), Secunderabad (35), Charminar (21), Shamshabad (13), Jubilee Hills (12) and Khairatabad (5).

The seizures included 27,024.7 kg of adulterated ginger-garlic paste, 25,845 kg of chemically ripened fruits, 60 tonnes of discarded chicken waste, 15 tonnes of poor-quality meat, 9,260 kg of stale pickles, 4,030 kg of adulterated khoya, 3,897 kg of spurious tea powder, 3,260 kg of chemical cream, 2,706 kg of substandard dry fruits, 2,500 kg of adulterated curd, 1,514 kg of synthetic paneer, 530 kg of fake ghee and 120 kg of unhygienic fried chicken.

Police said 247 cases were also referred to GHMC Food Safety Officers for regulatory action. These included 90 complaints received from citizens and violations detected at paneer manufacturing units, bakeries, fast-food outlets, spice manufacturing units, water packaging plants, hostels and meat shops.

As part of its preventive efforts, H-FAST organised awareness meetings with food business operators and directed them to obtain valid FSSAI licences, maintain hygiene standards, follow the First In, First Out (FIFO) inventory system and avoid the repeated use of cooking oil.

Commissioner commends H-FAST team

Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar commended the H-FAST team for its performance and said the wing had earned public confidence, receiving around 15 food adulteration tip-offs every day.

Describing food adulteration as a serious threat to public health, he warned that habitual offenders could face stringent action, including detention under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act. He appealed to citizens to report suspected cases of food adulteration by dialling 100 or through the H-FAST WhatsApp helpline, assuring complete confidentiality for informants.