Tukaram Mundhe's FDA seizes 3,900 kg food products in Maharashtra festive crackdown
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licences of 31 establishments for violating food safety and hygiene norms during a festive season crackdown carried out across the state.
In a statement on Thursday, the FDA said the action was taken between September 28 and 30 after inspections at hotels, restaurants, dhabas, clubs, bakeries and other establishments. The suspended licences include 12 in Mumbai division, 12 in Konkan division, six in Pune division and one in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division.
During the three-day statewide drive, the department seized around 3,902.20 kg of suspected substandard, unsafe and misbranded food items and 617 litres of milk, with the total value estimated at Rs 16.22 lakh. The seized items included sweets, cheese, ghee, paneer, cream, almonds, skimmed milk powder, edible oils, cashews, ajwain, khoa and puffed rice.
The FDA said, "Violations included poor sanitation, pest infestation, improper storage and handling of food, lack of medical fitness records for food handlers and failure to maintain mandatory food safety records."
In Mumbai, the suspended establishments include Annadata Aahar Kendra in Khar, New English Bakery and St Philomena Bakery in Mazgaon, two Blink Commerce facilities, Radha Krishna eatery in Borivali, Sodexo India Services in Kurla, PR Jena Caterers in BKC and the canteen at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi.
The FDA also suspended the licence of Dhole Food Products in Beed and ordered its immediate closure after finding that it was making food products at a new premises without a valid licence. Stock worth Rs 1.17 lakh was seized there, and samples of chiwda, farsan and other products were taken for analysis.
The action included seizure of 430 kg of cheese allegedly being sold under the Amul brand in Pune, 18.20 kg of loose paneer in Kolhapur, and 2,398 kg of skimmed milk powder worth about Rs 5.27 lakh in Ahilyanagar.
The FDA also seized 34 kg of ghee and 119 kg of cow cream in Sangli, 423 kg of almonds in Pune, and other products including sweets, namkeen, mustard oil, sunflower oil, loose cashews, ajwain, khoa and puffed rice.
Separately, the FDA carried out a drive against banned food products such as pan masala and gutkha across five divisions. It inspected 19 establishments and found banned products at 18 of them, seizing stock worth Rs 61.17 lakh and two vehicles valued at Rs 6.50 lakh, taking the total seizure to Rs 67.67 lakh. Fourteen FIRs were registered, 18 people were arrested and 13 establishments were sealed, the FDA said.
Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the government was extremely strict about the quality of food products and enforcement of the law in Maharashtra. "Strict legal action would continue against establishments selling or storing expired or tampered food products or preparing food in unhygienic and unsafe conditions," Mundhe said.
The FDA also appealed to food business operators to follow prescribed food safety and hygiene standards. Overall, the drive led to licence suspensions, closure orders, food seizures and action against banned products across Maharashtra.- Ends
