Telangana DGP calls for unified department to crack down on food adulteration and narcotics

As the Telangana government considers creating a unified Food Safety and Drug Control Department with dedicated enforcement, legal, forensic and prosecution wings, Hyderabad’s H-FAST has already offered a glimpse of the scale of food adulteration and unsafe food handling across the city.

Director General of Police C.V. Anand said the proposed department would function under a single head and be strengthened with a dedicated enforcement wing, which could be staffed using personnel made available following the downsizing of Greyhounds and OCTOPUS. He said the proposal was driven by growing concerns over food adulteration, rising health issues and the spread of narcotics, adding that inter-departmental discussions had been productive and the initiative was expected to move forward quickly.

The proposal follows months of enforcement by the Hyderabad Food Administration and Safety Task Force (H-FAST), which has registered 185 food adulteration cases across the city.

Food products seized so far

The seizures paint a stark picture of the violations uncovered. H-FAST has seized more than 121.8 tonnes of suspected adulterated, expired or unhygienic food products. Among the biggest seizures were over 60 tonnes of chicken waste, about 27 tonnes of ginger-garlic paste, 25.8 tonnes of artificially ripened fruits, approximately 15 tonnes of chicken and meat, 9.2 tonnes of pickles, over four tonnes of khova, 3.9 tonnes of tea powder and more than 1.5 tonnes of paneer. Officers also seized 530 kg of ghee, 3.2 tonnes of cream and 2.5 tonnes of curd.

List of the food products seized so far

The task force has also acted against a wide range of businesses, registering cases involving ice cream manufacturers, water bottling units, bakeries, restaurants, fast food centres, spice traders, sweet shops, coconut powder, noodles and chocolate manufacturers, besides seizing expired food products.

Complaints received through toll-free helpline 87126 61212

Apart from criminal cases, H-FAST has referred 247 cases to Food Safety Officers of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for further action. The largest category involved paneer outlets, accounting for 70 cases, followed by 90 complaints received through the H-FAST’s toll-free helpline number 87126 61212. Other complaints were about samosas, meat, frozen chicken and seafood, ice, water plants, bakeries, fast food centres, ice cream, pickles, spices, chocolates and online grocery platforms.

Ghee outlets in Hyderabad under focus

Officials are now working on inspections of ghee outlets as part of the continuing drive. The proposed State-level department is expected to build on H-FAST’s model by expanding specialised enforcement beyond Hyderabad.