A flying squad of the Commissioner of Food Safety (CFS) in Telangana conducted a raid at a snacks manufacturing unit, M/S Balaji Pheni & Namkeen Unit, in Nagole and found several violations.
On Friday, May 29, the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana, shared a post featuring videos and photos from the unit. The post highlighted the allegedly unhygienic conditions in which food was being prepared. “Acting on the news item published in the newspaper, the Flying Squad inspected M/s Balaji Pheni & Namkeen Unit, Nagole, and a lot of deviations were noticed during the inspection,” CFS Telangana stated.
Oil, Sev And Chips Seized During Inspection
During the inspection, food safety officials seized a large quantity of products and raw materials from the unit. The department said, “150 kg of cooking oil, 720 kg of sev, and 120 kg of potato chips were seized.”
One of the clips showed sev being prepared inside a seemingly unhygienic room with walls heavily stained with oil and food residue. The frying equipment and surrounding surfaces also appeared greasy. Another video showed a man preparing potato chips in dark-coloured oil.
The images also showed multiple large blue drums containing sliced potatoes used for preparing chips. The drums appeared to be industrial containers rather than food-grade storage vessels. The floor was reportedly covered with oil, water, and food waste.
Notices Issued To The Unit
In the same post, CFS stated that notices had been issued to the unit and that further action would follow under the law. “Notices are being issued, and adjudication proceedings will be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” the department said.
The department also issued an advisory urging consumers to remain cautious while purchasing packaged food products. The post stated, “Public Advisory – Consumers are advised to purchase snacks, namkeen, and other food products only from licensed establishments and check the quality, packaging, and expiry details before consumption.”