FDA Cracks Down On More Mumbai Food Outlets Over Hygiene Lapses, Suspends Licences

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 19 suspended the food licences of two Mumbai restaurants and a college canteen in Navi Mumbai after inspections flagged alleged violations of hygiene, storage and food safety regulations, The Hindu reported.

The action followed a statewide crackdown on August 18, when the FDA inspected 31 hotels, restaurants and dhabas. Five food licences were suspended and improvement notices were issued to 22 establishments. Banned and other food products worth ₹25.30 lakh were also seized during the inspections.

Rats, Cockroaches Found At Mumbai Restaurants

At Hotel Radha in Malad West, officials who inspected the premises on August 18 reportedly found rats, including one entering the kitchen through an open drainage line. Cockroaches were also found on a dough-mixing machine, while stagnant water, grease deposits and drainage leaks were reported.

The restaurant’s food business licence was suspended under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It was also ordered to stop food production, storage, sale and distribution during the suspension period.

On August 19, the FDA suspended the FSSAI licence of Janta Tawa & Grill in Kurla West. Officials reportedly found raw meat and poultry stored without adequate protection against contamination and inadequate temperature-controlled storage.

Temperature records for refrigerated and frozen storage were unavailable, while food, packaging material and non-food items were not properly segregated. Officials also reported poor maintenance of food-contact equipment and deterioration of walls and ceilings.

Navi Mumbai Canteen Licence Suspended

The FDA also suspended the FSSAI licence of Siddhivinayak Enterprises/Bilavana Rajendra Chavan, which operates at Saraswati College of Engineering in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Officials who inspected the facility on August 18 found that it was registered as a food vending establishment but was operating as a canteen.

The inspection reportedly found inadequate pest control and ventilation, poor segregation of personal and non-food items, inadequate raw material purchase records and a lack of mandatory laboratory testing of food and water. The FSSAI registration was also not prominently displayed.

The suspension will remain in place until the deficiencies are rectified and verified by the competent authority, the FDA said.

Separately, on August 19, officials seized 5,098 kg of khichdi masala worth ₹5.09 lakh and 5,598 kg of defatted toasted soya grits worth ₹4.48 lakh from Indo Allied Protein Foods Pvt. Ltd. in Pune. In Sangli, 3,850 kg of jaggery powder worth ₹4.30 lakh was seized from Mitesh Sales Corporation over suspected substandard or misbranded quality. Samples from both establishments were sent for laboratory testing.

The FDA also registered eight FIRs and arrested 10 people during a separate crackdown on August 18 against banned gutkha, pan masala, scented tobacco and related products across Mumbai, Konkan, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Six establishments were sealed and banned stock worth ₹11.40 lakh was seized.