Hyderabad, April 11 --  Over the past month, city residents have been confronted with disturbing visuals of the unhygienic conditions under which their everyday pantry staples are prepared, as police crack down on manufacturing units and seize thousands of kilograms of adulterated food.

Used tea powder mixed into fresh batches, excess preservatives in ginger garlic paste, missing ingredients and "best before" labels on bakery products, the complaints flooding the Hyderabad Police have been as varied as they have been alarming.

Beyond adulteration, the unorganised sector appears broadly indifferent to basic compliance. Pest control records, medical certificates for workers and the mandatory licences that govern food manufacturing un...