Hyderabad: Shawarma, a popular street food in Hyderabad, has come under scrutiny by the Telangana Food Safety Department after several cases of food poisoning were reported. Recently, a police officer fell ill after eating shawarma, prompting the food safety team to conduct raids on various shawarma outlets across the city.
The officers inspected several establishments, including Mujtaba Grills in East Marredpally, Shasha Shandar Shawarma near Paradise Metro Station, Rolls on Wheels, Sync Shawarma at Secunderabad East Metro Station, and Asian Chow in Secunderabad.
During the inspections, the food safety team found synthetic food colouring at Mujtaba Grills, which was discarded. Shasha Shawarma was operating without a valid FSSAI license, while Mujtaba Grills and Rolls on Wheels had failed to display their food safety licenses.
In addition to these issues, the team discovered that many of the outlets had no medical records for their food handlers and lacked pest control documentation. Some vending units were found to be unclean, and there were problems with how food was stored. For example, perishable items like paneer and meat were not labelled with use-by dates, and vegetarian and non-vegetarian items were not properly separated.
The food safety officers advised that shawarma should only be consumed from hygienic outlets following food safety guidelines. Consumers are urged to ensure that the shawarma they eat is freshly cooked and to avoid places where the meat looks cold or has been sitting out for too long.
Shawarma remains a favorite snack for many people in Hyderabad, but it’s important to be aware of its potential health risks. Maintaining proper food handling, hygiene, and consuming it in moderation can help reduce the chances of foodborne illnesses.
On October 4, the Karkhana police registered a case against Grill 9, a shawarma outlet in Hyderabad, after a Central Crime Station (CCS) inspector fell sick from eating there. The incident occurred on September 30, and legal action was taken under Section 274 of the BNS Act, although no other complaints were filed.
In another case, 17 people became ill after consuming shawarma mixed with mayonnaise at Grill House in Alwal. The victims experienced symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. As a result, Grill House was shut down, and a case was filed by Food Safety Officer Lakshmikant under Sections 273 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
