Footage shows a furious customer who allegedly discovered a cigarette butt in biryani at an Indian restaurant.

The diner ordered his dinner but was horrified when it was served with the discarded smoke at the popular Bawarchi Restaurant in Hyderabad, Telangana, on November 25.

Video captured the ensuing heated argument between the group of locals and the restaurant staff.

Reports indicate that the management has since apologised for the distressing situation. They said that Bawarchi, which has been open since 1994, has 'the best biryani in India'.

India is notorious for its poor food safety practices, as many street stalls and cheap restaurants prioritise efficiency and profit over hygiene.

On September 20, the food safety task force caught the Meridian Restaurant in Panjagutta and Jalpaan Restaurant in Somajiguda allegedly committing hygiene violations, including having pigeon droppings on window meshes.

In another incident, a centipede was allegedly discovered in food at the luxury Taj Mahal Hotel on September 24.

Additionally, live worms were reportedly found in a pizza purchased from a restaurant in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, on November 11.

The country's food safety regulating body, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, is relatively new having only been established in 2006.