Maharashtra FDA Suspends Seven Mumbai Food Licences
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licences of seven food establishments in Mumbai after inspections found violations involving hygiene, food handling, pest control, storage and kitchen operations, while a separate operation in Thane led to the seizure of food products and raw materials valued at Rs 20.48 lakh.
The action was announced by the Maharashtra FDA after inspections conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday. The establishments named by the department 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 found that temperature monitoring was not being conducted regularly despite the availability of heating, cooling and refrigeration facilities. The FDA also cited inadequate pest control, an open kitchen without a door and food preparation equipment and containers made from materials considered unsuitable for food contact.
The inspection at Samarth Sweets found open drains and accumulated garbage near the entrance. According to the FDA, the production area did not maintain a proper workflow from raw material handling to processing and packing, creating a risk of cross-contamination. Clothes, bedding and personal belongings were also stored in the production area.
At Ekdvira Zunka Bhakar Centre, officials reported inadequate ventilation, uncovered garbage bins, an open food preparation area and improper segregation of food and non-food items. Manisha Sweets was cited for operating its production area in an open and unhygienic space, along with inadequate separation of food, packaging materials, chemicals and personal belongings.
The FDA said officials found ants in stored semolina, uncovered raw meat and poor separation of raw, cooked and ready-to-eat food at Nawab Seekh Corner. Refrigerators and storage areas were reportedly dirty and disorganised, while equipment was not being cleaned and sanitised properly. At Hotel Adinath, the department cited inadequate food storage, refrigeration and temperature control, dirty surfaces, insufficient ventilation and inadequate pest-proofing.
The licence of Jai Maharashtra Masala Dosa Corner was also suspended after officials found poor cleaning and sanitisation, accumulated food waste, pest activity and no effective pest-control programme or related records. The FDA said the suspensions were imposed with immediate effect in the cases covered by its action.
In a separate operation at the Bhaskar Compound area of Khadi Gaon along Shil-Diva Road in Thane, FDA officials acted on confidential information about establishments manufacturing and selling farsan, wafers, chiwda, namkeen and related products. The department seized 28,955 kilograms of food products and 56 litres of used cooking oil, with a stated value of Rs 20,48,015.
The seized material 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 that orders were issued directing them to stop operations.
Officials also reported dirty and greasy floors, temporary sheet structures, open production areas, inadequate wastewater drainage, stagnant wastewater, foul smells and the presence of cockroaches and rodents. The department said some workers were preparing food without aprons, gloves or caps and that packaged-food labelling requirements were not being followed.
The FDA further said 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—had their licences suspended for violating 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 and distributed through a licensed or registered caterer or kitchen, organisers must submit the prior-intimation form to the designated FDA officer at least seven days before the event through the Food and Drug Grievance Portal.
