A cockroach allegedly found in a vegetable dish has landed Garam Dharam Dhaba in Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad, in trouble.A video of the alleged incident went viral after a customer raised a complaint with the district administration and the Food Safety Department. Officials then inspected the dhaba on Wednesday to check the hygiene conditions on the premises.The inspection was carried out by ADM (City) Vinay Kashyap along with Food Safety Department officials. What they found inside the kitchen raised further concerns.
Insects found inside broken deep freezer
According to Kashyap, the team found that the bottom of the deep freezer used to store supplies was damaged, with small insects crawling inside it. Officials also found considerable filth in the kitchen.“The exterior area is clean, the condition of the kitchen is alarming and a matter of concern,” Kashyap was quoted as saying by NDTV.The inspection also led to food samples being collected from the premises. Four samples, including mustard oil, water, paneer and sauce, have been sent for testing.Officials have also issued a notice to the dhaba operator.For now, the kitchen has been ordered to stay shut. It can reopen only after the deficiencies identified during the inspection are fixed and the required food safety standards are met.Kashyap also said the complaint that prompted the inspection appeared to be valid.“We came here in response to that matter. The complaint we received via the media appears to be valid,” he said.
Food safety checks put restaurants under scrutiny
The action in Ghaziabad comes amid food safety inspections at restaurants in other cities as well.In Mumbai, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration recently suspended the licences of five establishments, including Gallops at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, after inspections reportedly found hygiene violations. Officials found live cockroaches and ants in the kitchen, along with clogged drains and other issues.Olympia Coffee House in Colaba also had its licence suspended following an inspection last week. The eatery had recently attracted attention after Hollywood stars Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon and Tom Holland visited it during their Mumbai trip for The Odyssey.The Ghaziabad incident, meanwhile, has put the focus back on something customers rarely get to see: what the kitchen looks like once the dining room doors close.