The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 25 food establishments, including six Domino’s Pizza outlets, and four edible oil and spice manufacturing units as part of a statewide crackdown, officials said on Friday.
The action followed inspections that uncovered hygiene violations, including live cockroaches, fungal contamination, unclean utensils, improper storage and inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
The FDA also seized 81,330 kg of suspected substandard, adulterated or mislabelled food products worth Rs 1.73 crore from 37 establishments across six divisions.
The seized products included edible oil, chilli and turmeric powder, areca nut, dry fruits, sabudana, bhagar, rajgira, tea powder and sweets. Samples have been sent for laboratory analysis, and further legal action will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act based on the reports, the FDA said.
Of the 25 establishments whose licences were suspended, seven were in the Mumbai division, two in Konkan, and eight each in Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions. The six Domino’s Pizza outlets were among those penalised in the Pune division. Other affected outlets were in Jalna and Parbhani districts.
Separately, the FDA conducted a special drive against banned food products on October 14 and 15, inspecting 13 establishments and vehicles across the Mumbai, Pune, Konkan and Nagpur divisions. It seized banned stock worth Rs 18.83 lakh and two vehicles, taking the total value of the seized property to more than Rs 21.83 lakh.
Ten FIRs were registered and offences recorded against 10 accused, while four establishments were sealed. In Pune, six FIRs were filed, six people were arrested and three establishments sealed. Arrests and enforcement action were also reported in the Konkan and Nagpur divisions, while two accused were booked in Mumbai in separate cases involving vehicles transporting banned products.
A sweet manufacturer in Mumbai was also issued a closure notice over violations at its premises and lapses in hygiene.
“The department is conducting statewide inspections to prevent the sale, storage and transportation of banned food products and to ensure compliance with food safety regulations,” FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said.
(With inputs from PTI)
