The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a formal notice to M/s Mapro Foods Pvt. Ltd., a food business operator at Lonavala, in Pune Rural district, after an official inspection found multiple violations of hygiene and sanitary norms prescribed under Schedule 4 of food safety regulations.
According to communication by FSSAI's West Region office, the inspection revealed "various non-compliances with the hygiene and sanitary requirements" at the unit.
Consequent to the findings, a formal notice has been served upon the Food Business Operator (FBO), and adjudication proceedings have been initiated for imposition of a penalty under the applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
"Food safety standards exist to protect public health, and every Food Business Operator is accountable for meeting them," FSSAI said, adding that compliance was "not merely a regulatory requirement" but "a public health imperative," and that regulatory action would follow wherever standards fell short.
The action against Mapro Foods comes amid a sustained, statewide crackdown on food safety violations spearheaded by Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who has overseen an aggressive enforcement push since taking charge of the department in May this year.
Under Mundhe, the state FDA has carried out more than 1,100 raids in recent months across wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers and eateries, resulting in seizures of adulterated and non-compliant goods worth close to Rs 50 crore, including over 1.6 lakh litres of allegedly adulterated milk.
The drive, part of the FDA's "Safe Food, Safe Medicines, Safe Maharashtra" campaign, has also extended to government establishments, including canteens at the Bombay High Court complex and the Mumbai municipal headquarters, following judicial directions that enforcement standards apply uniformly regardless of ownership.
While Wednesday's notice was issued by FSSAI's central regional office rather than the state FDA directly, it adds to the wider climate of heightened scrutiny facing food businesses across Maharashtra.
The regulator has urged consumers to report unsafe food practices, reiterating that "your action can protect many."
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