Maharashtra's intensified food safety crackdown has triggered a fresh confrontation between the state's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the hotel industry, with regulators defending stricter enforcement to protect consumers while restaurant owners question the legal basis of certain directives and seek intervention from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHAR) has decided to approach the FSSAI and the Union health ministry, seeking clarity on whether certain recent FDA notifications are consistent with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, according to a Mid-Day report.
ALSO READ : Adding 'Rum Flavour To Rum': Why FSSAI Halted Sales Of Old Monk, McDowell's And Others
The move comes amid an aggressive statewide enforcement drive led by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, under which officials have carried out inspections at hotels, restaurants, clubs and food establishments, suspending licences and seizing food products over alleged hygiene and safety violations.
AHAR said it fully supports strict action against food businesses that compromise consumer safety but argued that enforcement must remain legally sustainable, transparent and uniformly applicable, the report said.
The association claimed that some recent FDA directives have created uncertainty among licensed establishments and are allegedly being misused by self-styled RTI activists and other individuals to pressure businesses, it added.
AHAR President Vijay K. Shetty said the industry is not seeking relaxed regulations but equal accountability across the food sector.
According to the association, the same food safety standards should apply to every food provider, including unlicensed roadside vendors, rather than focusing primarily on licensed restaurants and hotels.
ALSO READ : Dabur Explores Legal Options Following FSSAI Crackdown On '100% Pure' Labels
The association plans to meet senior FSSAI and health ministry officials in New Delhi to seek clarity on the legal validity of the notifications, request safeguards against their alleged misuse and press for uniform enforcement across all food business operators, as per the report.
The FDA, however, has maintained that the ongoing drive is aimed solely at protecting consumers by ensuring safe and hygienic food.
The department has repeatedly stressed that all food business operators are required to comply with prescribed food safety norms.
Recent enforcement actions include the suspension of food licences at establishments such as Tewari Bros Sweets over alleged hygiene violations, while authorities also seized suspected analogue paneer, ghee, cream and edible oil worth Rs 3.12 lakh from a dairy unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Samples have been sent for laboratory testing, with further legal action contingent on the results.
Between July 30 and August 3, the FDA inspected 98 hotels, restaurants and dhabas, initiated 30 enforcement actions, issued 57 improvement notices, suspended 14 food licences and seized food products worth more than Rs 2.23 crore, underscoring the scale of the ongoing crackdown.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
