The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licences of seven food establishments in Mumbai after inspections found alleged violations of food safety and hygiene requirements. The regulator also seized 28,955 kg of food products and 56 litres of used cooking oil worth Rs 20.48 lakh during raids in Thane, according to an official statement cited by Mid-Day.
The Mumbai action followed inspections conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday. The establishments named by the FDA are 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.
At Shri Gajanan Vadapav and Snacks Centre, officials reported that temperature monitoring was not being carried out regularly despite the availability of heating, cooling and refrigeration facilities. The FDA also cited inadequate pest-control measures, an open kitchen without a door and food-preparation equipment made from materials considered unsuitable for food contact.
Samarth Sweets was found to have open drains and accumulated garbage near its entrance, the FDA said. Its production area lacked a proper workflow from raw-material handling to processing and packing, creating a potential risk of cross-contamination. Clothes, bedding and personal belongings were also reportedly stored inside the production area.
The FDA cited inadequate ventilation, uncovered garbage bins, an open preparation area and improper segregation of food and non-food items at Ekdvira Zunka Bhakar Centre. At Manisha Sweets, officials reported an open and unhygienic production area, along with a lack of separate storage for food, packaging materials, chemicals and personal belongings.
At Nawab Seekh Corner, inspectors found ants in stored semolina, uncovered raw meat and inadequate separation between raw, cooked and ready-to-eat food. The FDA also reported dirty and disorganised refrigeration and storage areas and insufficient cleaning of food-preparation equipment. Hotel Adinath was cited for inadequate food storage, refrigeration and temperature control, dirty surfaces, poor ventilation and insufficient pest-proofing.
The licence of Jai Maharashtra Masala Dosa Corner was suspended after officials found poor cleaning and sanitisation, accumulated food waste, pest activity and no effective pest-control programme or related records, according to the FDA.
In a separate operation in the Bhaskar Compound area of Khadi Gaon along Shil-Diva Road in Thane, FDA teams acted on confidential information about establishments manufacturing and selling farsan, wafers, chiwda, namkeen and other products. 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 department said some establishments were operating without valid food licences and that production areas had dirty, greasy floors, accumulated oil residue, temporary sheet structures, inadequate drainage and open sections. Officials also reported stagnant wastewater, foul smells, cockroaches and rats in surrounding areas, as well as animals near some premises. Four establishments in Thane were suspended and ordered to stop operations.
The FDA separately suspended the licences of Hotel Shahi near Kolhapur Naka in Malkapur, Satara Saber Restaurant in Bhushi village, Lonavala, and Sairat Biryani in Koregaon Park, Pune. The regulator said the establishments had violated licence conditions and food-safety requirements under Schedule 4.
The department has also issued an advisory for organisers of community food distribution during festivals, religious events, yatras, urs and other public gatherings. Where food is prepared or distributed through a licensed or registered caterer or kitchen, organisers must submit a prior-intimation form to the designated FDA officer at least seven days before the event. Further action is also being taken against Shelke Mama Dhaba Restaurant in Khultabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, after a reinspection found that earlier deficiencies had not been rectified.
