Maharashtra FDA Seizes Rs 25 Lakh in Goods, Suspends Five Licences
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized banned items, milk, and dairy products worth Rs 25 lakh and suspended the licences of five food establishments across the state, including eateries in Malad and Kurla in Mumbai as well as Kharghar in Navi Mumbai.
According to an official release issued on Wednesday, the agency inspected 31 hotels, restaurants, roadside eateries, and other food establishments on Tuesday. Following the inspections, 22 establishments were served improvement notices, and five had their operational licences suspended.
The enforcement drive targeted prohibited items such as gutkha, pan masala, and flavoured supari. The FDA reported seizing banned stock worth Rs 11.40 lakh from eight establishments across the Mumbai, Konkan, Pune, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions. Ten individuals were arrested, eight First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered, and six premises were sealed.
In addition to prohibited items, officials seized approximately 14,552 kg of other food items, including milk, dairy products, and bakery goods, valued at around Rs 13.90 lakh. Food samples were collected from several locations and sent to authorised laboratories for chemical analysis.
Among the businesses facing licence suspension was Hotel Radha in Malad (West), Mumbai. Officials cited serious hygiene and food safety failures at the eatery, including the presence of live rodents in the kitchen alongside poor drainage and sanitation. The establishment's food business licence was suspended under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FDA also suspended the licence of a food establishment operating inside Saraswati College of Engineering in Kharghar after identifying lapses in food safety, hygiene, and pest-control protocols. Action was additionally taken against Janata Tawa and Grill in Kurla due to serious food safety lapses.
In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, FDA inspectors identified unhygienic conditions and the sale of expired food products at Parmeshthi Super Shoppe near Devagiri Hospital in Vaijapur, prompting regulatory action against the operator.
The FDA, led by senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, stated that the statewide inspection drive is being conducted under the "Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra" campaign. The agency urged food business operators to maintain strict cleanliness, temperature controls, storage conditions, and pest-control measures, warning of strict action under food safety regulations for any non-compliance.
