FDA seizes food stock worth Rs 25.54 lakh from 14 units in two-day statewide drive

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carried out an inspection drive across the state on October 25 and 26, seizing food stock worth Rs 25.54 lakh from 14 establishments.

The seized goods included expired packaged food, products without labels and food suspected to be substandard or adulterated. Action was taken in all divisions. Officials found lapses such as production and packing in unhygienic conditions, incorrect labelling, and the absence of a valid licence or registration.

In all, about 9,385 kg of food items, 7,566 expired packets, 7,104 cold drink bottles and 88 litres of milk were seized. The items included sweets, mawa, namkeen, sev, chivda, chips, dry fruits, roasted almonds, soya chunks, wheat flour, desiccated coconut powder, instant gulab jamun mix and food additives.

The largest number of establishments was inspected in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, where six units were checked and goods worth Rs 7.09 lakh were seized, including 3,622.1 kg of food items and 7,104 cold drink bottles. In Greater Mumbai, 752.8 kg of chips, dry fruits and roasted almonds worth Rs 6.99 lakh was seized from two establishments. In the Konkan division, 7,566 expired packets worth Rs 6.88 lakh were found at one establishment. In the Nagpur division, 2,674 kg of coconut powder worth Rs 2.67 lakh was seized from one establishment. In Amravati, food items and milk worth Rs 1 lakh were found at two establishments. In Nashik, 2,100 kg of wheat flour worth Rs 71,500 was seized from one establishment. In Pune, 87.6 kg of anarsa sweets worth Rs 17,520 was seized.

In Greater Mumbai, M/s Ananta Food Products in Bhandup West was found selling packaged food without proper labels. Multigrain, beetroot and spinach-broccoli chips weighing 62.8 kg and worth Rs 20,730 were seized there. At M/s Curated Foods on Aarey Road in Goregaon East, 690 kg of mixed dry fruits and roasted almonds worth Rs 6.78 lakh were seized.

At Cloudstore Retail Pvt Ltd in Padgha-Bhiwandi in Thane district, 7,566 expired packets worth Rs 6.88 lakh were found. It is alleged that the company could not show records of how expired stock had been destroyed.

In Pune, 87.6 kg of anarsa sweets worth Rs 17,520 was seized from Prathamesh Products and Mahila Griha Udyog in Sukhsagar Nagar. The stock is suspected to be substandard, and officials also noted a problem of wrong branding or labelling. In the Nashik division, 2,100 kg of wheat flour worth Rs 71,500 was seized from M/s Sachin Industries in MIDC Awadhan, Dhule. The FDA cited labelling lapses, unhygienic production and suspected adulteration.

In the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, 56.5 kg of sweets worth Rs 18,950 was seized from Bikaner Mithaiwala in Bajaj Nagar, Waluj. The sweets included mawa, kalakand, kaju katli, balushahi, besan and rava laddus, besan barfi and khobra laddus. The FDA alleged unhygienic packing and the use of sweet barfi in place of khava. The seized stock was destroyed and the establishment's licence was suspended.

In the same division, 399.6 kg of soya chunks worth Rs 1.33 lakh were seized from Varadvinayak Enterprises in MIDC, Nanded. From Pabale Namkeen in MIDC, Beed, 1,392 kg of sev, namkeen, papdi and rava maize flakes worth Rs 1.24 lakh were seized. From Sahyadri Foods in Ambad, Jalna district, 1,153 kg of sev, garlic chivda, namkeen and special farsan worth Rs 2.64 lakh were seized. From Korde Foods in Murud, Latur district, 498 kg of sev worth Rs 59,760 was seized on suspicion of artificial colour. From Zum Zum Industries in Beed, food additives, beverage ingredients, other products and 7,104 cold drink bottles, together worth Rs 1.08 lakh, were seized.

In Nagpur, 2,674 kg of Dhanlaxmi Kamal desiccated coconut powder worth Rs 2.67 lakh was seized from Giridhari Trading Company in Maskasath, Itwari, on suspicion of being substandard. In Amravati, 88 litres of milk worth Rs 11,532 was seized from Rajhans Dudh Agency on suspicion of adulteration. From KL Food Industry in Tivsa, Amravati district, 148.4 kg of Sargam instant gulab jamun mix worth Rs 89,040 was seized on suspicion of being substandard.

The FDA has told food business operators to sell products only in properly labelled packaging, to produce and store them in clean premises and to hold a valid licence or registration. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and its rules, they must also keep records of stock received and stock destroyed. The department warned that strict action would follow against those selling substandard, unsafe or adulterated food, and that no laxity in enforcing food safety would be tolerated.

Consumers have been urged to buy food only from licensed or registered shops and to avoid loose or unlabelled items. Before buying, they should check the label, batch number, packing date and best-before details. Citizens can report the sale of expired, substandard or suspicious food on the FDA's toll-free helpline, 1800-222-365, or through its grievance portal, https://complaints.mahafda.in.