The government is setting up new food testing labs in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Medchal districts to improve food safety. Each zone of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will get a mini lab to handle the increased number of food samples.
Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narsimha announced this decision during a review meeting on the Food Safety Department on Tuesday. He mentioned that GHMC will help in finding suitable locations for these labs. Over 60% of the State’s food businesses are located in Hyderabad and the surrounding areas of Rangareddy and Medchal.
The government plans to improve food safety standards in restaurants, street vendors, food manufacturing units, and dairy businesses. Though food safety efforts in the past year and a half have raised awareness, officials believe stronger measures are needed. The government will ensure that all food businesses have an FSSAI registration or license by cross-checking trade license data and previous hawker survey records.
To support these efforts, more staff will be hired, and senior officers in GHMC will supervise field officers for better monitoring. Since Hyderabad is famous for its food, these steps will help maintain its reputation by improving food quality, ensuring hygiene, and increasing public trust in food safety.
