The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, has suspended the FSSAI licence of Kyani & Co, one of Mumbai's best-known Irani cafés, after an inspection on Sunday found what it called serious hygiene and food safety deficiencies at the Kalbadevi establishment.
The suspension took effect immediately under the proviso to Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The café has been directed to stop the purchase, manufacture, processing, storage, sale and distribution of food. The FDA said it is monitoring the establishment to ensure compliance.
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The inspection on September 27 was carried out under the guidance of Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, as part of the state's "Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra" policy, according to the FDA's press note dated September 28.
Inspectors reported finding cats, rat droppings, live flies and dead cockroaches in the food preparation and storage area. They said a large amount of blood had collected in a refrigerator and that an open sewage manhole was present in the processing section.
Other lapses cited include food kept on the floor and raw dough covered with printed newspaper. The FDA also said staff were not maintaining the required hygiene or using protective equipment, and that raw and ready-to-eat food was not properly segregated.
The FDA said these conditions posed an immediate risk to consumers' health, which is why it suspended the licence with immediate effect.
Kyani & Co, near Metro Cinema at Dhobi Talao, is widely described as Mumbai's oldest Irani café, dating to 1904. It is known for bun maska, Irani chai and mawa cake, and draws office-goers, students and heritage-minded visitors. The café had not commented at the time of writing.
The action is part of a wider festive-season crackdown. Between September 23 and 27, the FDA seized about 50.60 tonnes of food products worth Rs 1.19 crore and suspended 30 food licences across Maharashtra, 13 of them in Mumbai.
Other Mumbai establishments named in the note include Colaba Sweet Mart, Arun Vilas Farsan in Dharavi, Ruchi Veg Restaurant in Parel, Daffodils Fast Food Inn in Vile Parle and Subway's Lower Parel outlet.
Separately, the FDA inspected 26 establishments for banned products, registering 22 FIRs and arresting 30 people.
In the note, Mundhe said the government would not tolerate any "playing with the health of consumers" and that strict action would continue against establishments selling or storing expired, tampered or unhygienically prepared food.
Citizens can report complaints on the toll-free number 1800222365 or through the FDA's grievance portal.
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