The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the food business licences of Pune’s well-known Hotel Vaishali and Rupali Restaurant after inspections found reported hygiene and food-safety violations at both establishments on Fergusson College Road. The eateries have been barred from dine-in operations, takeaway and home delivery until they correct the deficiencies, pass a fresh inspection and receive written permission from the regulator.
According to an FDA statement cited by the Times of India, officials found food preparation areas and equipment located close to toilets at Hotel Vaishali. Cooked food and batter were reportedly being stored in an open corridor, while vegetables were not stored properly. The inspection also found that the restaurant did not maintain temperature records or water test reports.
At Rupali Restaurant, officials reported an unprotected kitchen, waterlogging, inadequate cleaning and improper waste management. Raw and cooked food items were allegedly kept uncovered and without proper labels. The FDA’s action means both establishments cannot conduct any food business until the regulator confirms that the reported deficiencies have been addressed.
The inspections were part of a wider Maharashtra operation conducted under the ‘Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra’ campaign. The FDA said it carried out simultaneous inspections at 17 establishments dealing in health supplements and nutraceuticals across the Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Nagpur, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions on November 13.
Across the state, the department said it seized food articles, health supplements and other products and took action against 27 establishments. Health supplement stocks worth Rs 1.38 crore were seized after officials found ingredients whose approval applications had been rejected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The seized products included supplements and foods containing Magnesium Acetyl Taurate and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, according to the FDA.
The regulator said manufacturers had produced some of these products without the required approvals, while marketers had sold them without mentioning the relevant food category in their licences. Samples of the seized stocks were sent to laboratories for testing. The Pune division accounted for health supplement seizures valued at Rs 30.57 lakh, while seizures in Nagpur and Konkan were valued at Rs 57.30 lakh and Rs 47.65 lakh respectively.
In a separate action in Kolhapur district, the FDA seized 21,004 litres of suspected substandard edible oil worth Rs 45.95 lakh from an establishment of Avenue Supermarts Limited, the statement said. The department also seized prohibited food products, including gutka, scented pan masala, scented tobacco and scented supari, along with a goods carrier vehicle. Five offences were registered against seven accused.
The FDA estimated the combined value of the seized goods and vehicle at around Rs 1.9 crore. It urged manufacturers and sellers to obtain the necessary approvals before producing or selling health supplements and nutraceuticals, and advised consumers to check product labels, ingredients, licence numbers and expiry or use-by dates. Vaishali and Rupali can resume food operations only after corrective action, a fresh inspection and written FDA approval.
