The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licence of Café Mondegar, the 94-year-old restaurant in Mumbai’s Colaba, after officials found hygiene and structural violations, including failures in food temperature control, drainage and equipment sanitisation.
The action was taken on Tuesday, according to the FDA. Officials found that hot food was being kept below the required 60°C threshold, while cold storage temperatures were above 5°C. They also flagged improper thawing and slow cooling practices at the restaurant.
The inspection identified damp floors and defective drainage near food preparation areas. The FDA said these conditions posed a risk of cross-contamination. Inadequate sanitisation of equipment was also listed among the violations.
Café Mondegar declined to comment on the action when contacted, saying its manager had left for the day.
The FDA also suspended the licences of nine other establishments across Mumbai. These were Ruhafza Bakery in Khar West, Chandru’s Pure Ghee Sweets and Sharma Dairy & Fast Food in Andheri West, Punjabi Chandu Halwai LLP in Grant Road East, Shri Narayan Dairy in Vile Parle West, Gulshan Dairy Farm in Khar West, Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West, Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East, and Agrawal Sweet Mart in Jogeshwari East.
The enforcement action comes ahead of the festive season, when demand for sweets, prepared food and offerings distributed at public religious gatherings increases. FDA officials said they were taking into account the possibility of large-scale adulteration or hygiene violations during this period.
As part of the preventive effort, the FDA and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation held a joint workshop for 110 self-help groups involved in making modaks. Assistant commissioners and food safety officers guided participants on good hygiene and manufacturing practices, along with methods to prevent cross-contamination during preparation.
Similar workshops were organised for office-bearers and volunteers of Ganesh mandals across the city. The FDA said five workshops were conducted at different locations, with participation from 320 Ganesh mandals and member organisations.
The department said the workshops were intended to ensure that prasad distributed to devotees was prepared and served safely, with necessary food-safety precautions. The licence suspensions and training sessions together represent the city’s pre-festival enforcement and awareness measures, covering both commercial food establishments and community-run preparation and distribution activities.
