The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its statewide crackdown on suspected substandard, unsafe and mislabelled food products, seizing 24,406 kg of stock worth Rs 50.19 lakh across several divisions. The FDA also suspended the licences or registrations of 17 establishments in Mumbai following inspections and re-inspections that revealed several food safety and hygiene violations.
The action covered edible oil, sweets, wafers, chakli, bhagar, sabudana, arecanut and kuttu flour, among other food items.
The drive covered the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Konkan and Greater Mumbai divisions. The FDA also suspended the licences or registrations of 19 food establishments, including 17 in Mumbai and two in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
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FDA Suspends Licences Of 19 Food Establishments
The deficiencies included failure to display FSSAI licences, missing purchase bills and pest-control records, and non-compliance with previously issued improvement notices.
Inspectors also found cockroach and insect infestations, food packets damaged by rats, spoiled food, burnt or overused cooking oil, and improper storage of raw and cooked food. In some premises, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items were stored together, while refrigerators lacked proper cleaning, temperature indicators and date records.
Other violations included damaged flooring, stagnant water, open dustbins in food-handling areas, and workers not wearing aprons, headgear or other protective equipment. Some establishments also lacked food laboratory reports and drinking water test reports as required under the applicable standards.
The establishments whose licences or registrations were suspended include:
- Amina Hotel, Govandi
- Aashirwad Super Store, Kandivali West
- Three Domino's Pizza outlets in Parel, Marol and Borivali West
- Thanksgiving Patisserie and Confectionery, Sewri
- Sweet Knife Resto Pvt. Ltd., Malad West
- Jay Kalyan Canteen, Juhu
- Carnival by Tresind, Santacruz West
- Rajasthan Restaurant, Khar West
- Darjeeling Lepcha Momos, Andheri West
- Hundo Pizza, Khar West
- Sahil Hotel, Versova
- The Penang Table, Bandra West
- Trupti Farsan and Sweets, Andheri West
- Hotel Theresa, Dharavi
- Instakart Services Pvt. Ltd., Lower Parel
Hotel Theresa's registration was suspended, while the other listed establishments had their licences suspended.
The FDA also suspended the licences of two edible oil repacking units in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division. In addition, a total compounding penalty of Rs 1.30 lakh was imposed on Banarasi Hindu Hotel, Kavita Caterers, Atharva University Canteen and Zaika King Shawarma following inspections conducted in Kandivali East and West during the festive-season drive.
Maharashtra FDA Seizes Prohibited Food Items Worth Rs 1.17 Lakh
On October 13, the FDA seized prohibited food products worth Rs 1,07,391 during inspections of three establishments in the Konkan Division. Three FIRs were registered, and four people were arrested. In a separate operation in Greater Mumbai, the FDA seized prohibited food items worth Rs 9,930 from a premises in Rohidas Nagar, Kasambag, Malad East, on the night of October 13. The establishment was found selling and storing prohibited food items.
Pune FDA Seizes Sweets, Wafers, Chakli And Fasting Foods
In the Pune Division, the FDA took action against stocks of sweets, banana wafers, chakli, bhagar and sabudana worth approximately Rs 4.46 lakh. At Shri Balaji Sweet Mart in Vita, Sangli district, inspectors seized 6 kg of jalebi and Mysore Pak worth Rs 1,680 on October 12. The business was operating without registration, and the products were suspected to be substandard and to contain excessive food colouring.
At Sirvi Bandhu Mithai Wale, also in Vita, 27 kg of boondi laddu and Mysore Pak worth Rs 9,000 was seized over suspected excessive use of food colouring. At Ruchira Sweets in Kavathepiran, Miraj, 72 kg of coconut barfi and Mysore Pak worth Rs 18,000 was seized. The inspection revealed registration-category issues, missing production and laboratory records, and labelling violations.
The FDA also seized 210 kg of banana wafers worth Rs 27,300 from Aashish Foods in Bibwewadi, Pune, and 75.6 kg of chakli worth Rs 25,200 from Reddy Sweet House at the same address. Both establishments were found to have registration-category, laboratory-record and labelling deficiencies. At Samir Sales in Pune's Market Yard, the FDA seized 4,296 kg of bhagar and sabudana worth Rs 3,64,588 on October 13. The stock comprised 1,298 kg of bhagar and 2,998 kg of sabudana and was suspected to be substandard or unsafe, with labelling violations also reported.
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