The suspension of the Cricket Club of India's (CCI) canteen licence was based on gross food safety violations and not on minor compliance issues or selective enforcement, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said on Wednesday.
"We have not done any selective action and it was not taken for mere violations," Mundhe said while defending the regulator's decision to suspend the canteen's food business licence. He said inspectors found "cockroaches and their skeletons, expired food products" and other "gross violations" during the inspection.
Mundhe added that the inspection team also found that the CCI canteen did not maintain separate food preparation sections for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, increasing the risk of cross-contamination.
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The clarification comes a day after Mumbai's iconic Cricket Club of India lost its Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence following an inspection that uncovered multiple food safety and hygiene lapses during a special enforcement drive across club canteens in Greater Mumbai.
According to the official inspection report, food safety officers found live cockroach and fly infestation in food handling and waste disposal areas, fungal growth on vegetables, over-ripened mushrooms and expired food products stored inside the kitchen. Inspectors also observed condensate water dripping directly onto stored food inside cold storage rooms, clogged drains, and poor sanitation across the premises.
The regulator said the canteen failed to follow First In, First Out (FIFO) and First Expired, First Out (FEFO) inventory practices, while several food items were either improperly labelled or lacked labels altogether.
The inspection further revealed that food-contact utensils were being placed directly on the floor during washing, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food preparation areas were not segregated, and colour-coded chopping boards were absent, raising concerns over cross-contamination.
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Officials also flagged heavy accumulation of grease, sludge, dirt and stagnant water on kitchen floors, drainage lines and food-contact equipment. The use of brooms on kitchen countertops was also cited as a contamination risk.
The Cricket Club of India was among five establishments whose food business licences were suspended during the July 27 enforcement drive. Food safety officials inspected seven club canteens across Greater Mumbai as part of the special campaign, resulting in action against five establishments.
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