The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licences of seven food establishments in Mumbai after inspections found hygiene, food-handling and pest-control violations, while separate raids in Thane led to the seizure of food products and raw materials worth Rs 20.48 lakh.
The action was part of an intensified enforcement drive led by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The Mumbai inspections were conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the FDA statement reported by Mid-Day.
The establishments facing licence suspension in Mumbai include Shri Gajanan Vadapav and Snacks Centre in Kanjurmarg, Samarth Sweets in Jogeshwari, Ekdvira Zunka Bhakar Centre and Manisha Sweets in Mulund East, Nawab Seekh Corner, Hotel Adinath and Jai Maharashtra Masala Dosa Corner. Officials cited different violations at each premises, including inadequate temperature monitoring, open food preparation areas, poor sanitation, ineffective pest control and improper segregation of food and non-food items.
At Shri Gajanan Vadapav and Snacks Centre, the FDA found that temperature monitoring was not being carried out regularly despite the availability of heating, cooling and refrigeration facilities. Officials also reported inadequate pest-control measures, an open kitchen without a door and food-contact equipment made from unsuitable materials.
Samarth Sweets was cited for open drains, accumulated garbage near the entrance and a production area without a proper workflow from raw materials to processing and packing. The FDA said clothes, bedding and personal belongings were also being stored in the production area. At the other Mumbai establishments, inspectors reported uncovered garbage bins, inadequate ventilation, dirty production spaces, poor storage arrangements, ants in stored semolina, uncovered raw meat and insufficient cleaning of refrigeration and food-storage areas.
The FDA also suspended the licence of Jai Maharashtra Masala Dosa Corner after finding poor cleaning and sanitisation, accumulated food waste, pest activity and an absence of an effective pest-control programme and related records. At Hotel Adinath, officials reported deficiencies in food storage, refrigeration, temperature control, ventilation, surface cleanliness and pest-proofing.
In Thane, FDA teams acted on confidential information about establishments producing and selling farsan, wafers, chiwda, namkeen and other food products in the Bhaskar Compound area of Khadi Gaon along Shil-Diva Road. The raids resulted in the seizure of 28,955 kilograms of food products and 56 litres of used cooking oil, with a total stated value of Rs 20,48,015.
The seized items included potato wafers, fasting chiwda, spicy wafers, black pepper wafers, mixed farsan, sev, bhakarwadi, diet chiwda, Schezwan sticks, banana chips, maida, besan, pea flour, palmolein oil and used cooking oil. The FDA said four establishments in Thane were found operating without valid food licences and were ordered to stop operations.
Officials also reported dirty and greasy floors, accumulated oil residues, temporary sheet structures, inadequate wastewater drainage, stagnant water, foul smells and pest activity. The department said some workers were preparing food without aprons, gloves or caps and that packaged-food labelling requirements were not being followed.
Three hotels in the Pune division—Hotel Shahi near Kolhapur Naka in Malkapur, Satara; Saber Restaurant in Bhushi village, Lonavala; and Sairat Biryani in Koregaon Park, Pune—were also ordered to suspend operations for alleged violations of licence conditions and food-safety requirements under Schedule 4.
The FDA has separately issued an advisory for organisers of festival and community food-distribution programmes. Organisers using a licensed or registered caterer or kitchen must submit a prior-intimation form to the designated FDA officer at least seven days before events involving mahaprasad, annachhatra, langar, bhandara and similar distribution programmes.
