The Pune division of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration seized 3,196kg of suspected substandard sweets, snacks and other food products from 15 establishments on November 3, ahead of Diwali, with eight licences suspended and three businesses ordered to stop operations.
The action covered Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur under the ‘Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra’ campaign launched by FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The seized stock was valued at Rs 16.93 lakh, while 1,440.5kg worth Rs 4.35 lakh was destroyed, according to a report by Punekar News.
The inspections targeted sweet shops, dairies, bakeries and dry-fruit traders as demand for festive food products increased. The FDA cited suspected substandard quality, unhygienic manufacturing conditions, improper storage and handling, incorrect labelling and violations of prescribed food safety requirements.
In Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, officials seized 605kg of sweets from Shri Ganesh Laduwale in Shikrapur, where the products were allegedly manufactured in unhygienic conditions without the required licence. At Rajmilan Sweets in Manchar, 250kg of sweet mawa was seized over suspected quality and safety concerns.
The FDA also seized and destroyed 268kg of barfi at Bikaner Mithaiwale in Mohammadwadi, citing improper storage and handling. Action was reported against Karachi Sweet Mart in Camp, Bhail Sweets in Pimple Saudagar and Chamunda Maa Rabdiwala in Mulshi, among other establishments.
At Poornima Sweets in Wanowrie, officials seized 58kg of kalakand and issued a closure notice after finding that the business did not have the required licence or registration. A similar notice was issued to Janta Sweets in Keshavnagar for operating without a valid FSSAI licence or registration.
The action extended beyond prepared sweets. In Sangli, the FDA seized 749kg of almonds valued at Rs 8.98 lakh from Ashish Traders at Vasantdada Market Yard over suspected substandard quality and incorrect labelling. Officials also took action against establishments in Solapur and Kolhapur, where sweets, cashews and other food products were seized.
The crackdown highlights the role of licensing, hygiene controls, storage practices and labelling requirements in regulating festive food supply chains. The FDA appealed to food businesses to obtain valid licences and registrations, maintain hygiene, store and handle products properly, and comply with prescribed food safety norms.
