The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, has seized suspicious, adulterated, mislabelled and substandard food stock worth approximately Rs 30.82 lakh in a state-wide enforcement drive ahead of the festive season, according to a press note issued on Wednesday.
Action was taken against 18 establishments across five divisions — Brihanmumbai, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur — with a total of 10,836.65 kg/litre of stock seized, including ghee, khawa, mawa, peda, oil, barfi, tea powder, sweets and other dairy products.
The largest seizure came from M/s Gurukrupa Dairy Products in Malad East, Mumbai, where roughly 4,646 kg of adulterated and mislabelled ghee, refined sunflower oil and vanaspati, worth Rs 15,15,597, was confiscated.
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Inspectors found the establishment blending oil, vanaspati and branded ghee in boilers to manufacture counterfeit ghee sold under the label "Pooja Ghee," alongside rat and cockroach infestation on the premises. Two boiler machines and a khoya machine, worth around Rs 1.6 lakh, were also seized.
In Chandrapur, 3,310 kg of tea powder worth Rs 6,75,790 was seized from the godown of M/s Ashok Agro Products on suspicion of being unsafe.
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Six establishments across Sangli, Pune and Kolhapur under the Pune division yielded stock worth roughly Rs 4,71,223, including jaggery, khoya, ghee, peda and skimmed-milk powder.
Five establishments were inspected in the Brihanmumbai division, and licences of all five were suspended forthwith.
Besides Gurukrupa Dairy, these include Gufran Seekh Corner in Versova, found operating without a valid food licence; BJRS (Gallops) Restaurant at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, where inspectors found blood and ketchup stains on stored ice, live cockroaches and grease build-up; and Dreamer Hospitality Pvt Ltd and Mirari, both in Bandra West, cited for hygiene violations under Schedule 4 of food safety norms.
"The government is extremely strict regarding the quality of food items and enforcement of the law in Maharashtra. Playing with the health of consumers and the public will not be tolerated under any circumstances," said Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner, FDA Maharashtra, adding that action would continue against establishments selling expired or unhygienically prepared food.
Complaints can be filed on the toll-free number 1800222365 or via the Food & Drug Grievance Portal.
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