The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Food Safety wing carried out surprise inspections across 44 supermarkets in different zones of the city on Friday, September 19. The raids were conducted as part of the civic body’s weekly special drive to monitor food quality, hygiene standards, and the sale of expired products. During the inspections, officials collected 58 samples which were later sent to the State Food Laboratory for further analysis.

Authorities reported several violations during these raids. At Saidabad’s More Supermarket, expired Royal Gala apples were discovered, while Reliance at Kacheguda X-Road was flagged for stocking avocados, oranges, and apples that had crossed their expiry date of September 15. Vijetha in Kondapur was found selling Yellow Rings, Palak Rice Papad, and Jersey Tick Shock cans that were well past their shelf life, some dating back to early August. Similarly, KPN Farm Fresh in Kondapur had expired Putra Petals, Sugar Shells, Sunnundas, and green apples, whereas Ratnadeep in the same area was caught selling 21 packets of cheese, sweet corn, and capsicum that expired just a day before the raid. In addition to expired stock, inspectors noted dusty racks, housefly infestations, absence of pest control records, and lack of employee health certificates.

Following these discoveries, the GHMC served notices to all the supermarkets under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006. The civic body instructed them to immediately address issues related to hygiene, storage, labeling, and employee medical checks. Officials warned that repeat violations would result in stricter legal action and possible penalties. These raids come just weeks after inspections at dark stores and warehouses in Hyderabad revealed similar lapses in food safety, highlighting the widespread need for stricter enforcement and consumer protection.