Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) registered 185 cases and seized nearly 122 tonnes of adulterated and unsafe food during its first 100 days of operation, intensifying the crackdown on food adulteration across the city.
Launched on March 19 under the Hyderabad City Police, H-FAST carried out raids with support from the GHMC, Food Safety, and Veterinary departments. The seized items included more than 60 tonnes of chicken waste and substandard meat, 27 tonnes of adulterated ginger-garlic paste, 25.8 tonnes of chemically ripened fruits, stale pickles, synthetic paneer, adulterated khoya, spurious tea powder, cream, ghee, curd, and dry fruits.
Rajendranagar recorded the highest number of cases at 55, followed by Golconda with 44, Secunderabad with 35, Charminar with 21, Shamshabad with 13, Jubilee Hills with 12, and Khairatabad with five.
Police also referred 247 cases to GHMC Food Safety Officers for regulatory action against paneer manufacturing units, restaurants, bakeries, hostels, water plants, meat shops, and other food establishments.
H-FAST food adulteration drive draws public support
Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V. C. Sajjanar said food adulteration was being treated as a serious crime and warned that habitual offenders could face action under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act. He urged citizens to report suspected food adulteration through Dial 100 or the H-FAST helpline, assuring complete confidentiality for informants.
Sajjanar appreciated the H-FAST team for achieving significant results in a short period and praised the cooperation between the police, GHMC, Food Safety, and Veterinary departments. He also thanked the public for its support, noting that the Commissioner’s office now receives an average of 15 tip-offs every day. He reiterated that the police would not hesitate to invoke the PD Act against organised food adulteration offenders.