The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its statewide food-safety crackdown, sealing the historic Burger King outlet on East Street in Pune's Camp area and suspending its food licence after an inspection found serious hygiene deficiencies and violations of food-safety regulations. The outlet has reportedly operated at the location since 1992.
The action was taken under the statewide “Safe Food, Safe Drug, Safe Maharashtra” campaign, launched under the directions of Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, as per media reports.
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During inspections conducted on August 13, FDA teams covered 86 establishments across Maharashtra, including restaurants, food businesses and quick-commerce facilities. Officials issued 60 improvement notices, ordered one establishment to immediately stop operations and suspended 14 food-business licences.
Quick-commerce operators were among those facing action, with licences suspended at five Blinkit facilities, five Zepto facilities and two Instamart facilities. Inspectors reported serious compliance concerns, including inadequate temperature control, poor storage arrangements and pest-related issues. In one facility, cockroaches were reportedly found nesting and moving on racks used to store food packets.
The FDA also seized 698 kg of milk products and 1,270 kg of other food items, including bakery products and edible oil. In a separate drive against banned gutkha and pan masala, authorities registered 10 FIRs, arrested nine people and seized banned products worth Rs 46.76 lakh. The total value of seized goods was reported at Rs 46,89,603.
The FDA has warned that food-safety violations can result in improvement notices, licence suspension and orders to halt operations.
The wider crackdown also covered 109 hotels, restaurants and dhabas, of which 49 received improvement notices and four had their licences suspended. Between August 11 and 14, 16 establishments in the Pune division had licences or registrations suspended over significant hygiene and food-safety violations, according to the reports.
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The establishments named in the action included Burger King in Camp, Fortune Enterprises at Hotel Sayaji in Lonavala, Hotel Chul Mutton in Lohegaon, Simply South in Bhosari, and Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut outlets in Karad. JBM Hospitality's canteen at HDFC Bank in Wanwadi was ordered to stop operations for allegedly operating without a licence.
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