Cockroaches Found at Subway Outlet in Ahmedabad, Sealed

Ahmedabad, Gujarat –  If you’re eating out in Ahmedabad, beware! A wave of disturbing food safety violations has come to light, raising serious concerns about hygiene in the city’s restaurants and dairies. In two separate but alarming incidents, cockroaches and a lizard were found in food preparation areas and served items—leading to immediate action from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) Food Department.

The Subway outlet, part of the global American fast-food franchise, located at Shivalik Complex in Ambawadi, was sealed after live and dead cockroaches were found crawling in its kitchen. In another case, a lizard was discovered in a mango milkshake served at New Patel Dairy Farm near Gokul Apartment on Sola Road in Naranpura, prompting officials to seal that unit as well.

“These are not isolated incidents. Complaints about insects and contamination in food from hotels and restaurants are increasing at an alarming rate,” said Dr. Bhavin Joshi, AMC’s Food Department Officer. “We are taking stringent measures to inspect, penalize and where necessary, shut down unhygienic food establishments that pose a threat to public health.”

In a broader crackdown, AMC’s Food Department has intensified its inspections across the city. Between June 22 and June 28, officials collected 76 food samples from different vendors, including sweets, ghee, edible oils, ice creams, spices, and namkeen. Shockingly, 344 food units were inspected during this time, and 134 notices were issued for health violations. More than 216 kilograms and 200 liters of inedible materials were seized and destroyed on the spot.

The department has also taken action in public service kitchens. As a precaution, 52 samples were taken from mid-day meal services in schools and anganwadis run by the AMC. The goal, Dr. Joshi said, is to ensure children are not served substandard or contaminated food.

A total of Rs 1.05 lakh in fines has been collected, and 121 Temporary Provisional Certificates (TPCs) for food vendors were also inspected during this period.

Locals have expressed shock and anger. “We trust these branded outlets and dairies with our families’ health. Finding insects in food is unacceptable,” said Mitesh Shah, a regular customer from Ambawadi.

The AMC has made it clear that stringent checks will continue across hotels, restaurants, ice cream parlours, sweets shops, and dairies. Items such as ghee, butter, paneer, snacks, and beverages will undergo on-the-spot quality checks, and harsh penalties will be imposed on violators.