FDA seizes 37,991 kg of food worth Rs 54.66 lakh across Maharashtra, suspends 11 licences

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized a total of 37,991.4 kg of food in a food safety drive across the state. The stock is suspected to be substandard or wrongly labelled and is valued at Rs 54.66 lakh. Licences of 11 establishments have been suspended over alleged violations of hygiene and rules, nine of them in Mumbai.

The biggest seizure of the drive came on Wednesday in Navi Mumbai. Officials took more than 33 tonnes of rajma and pulses, worth about Rs 50 lakh, from a trader, M/s RDC Agro Ventures Pvt Ltd, at TTC Industrial Area, MIDC Shirwane, Nerul East.

According to the details, officials seized 10,998 kg of Red Rajma Small, valued at Rs 7,69,860. They also took 22,288 kg of whole rajma of the Bullet Pulses brand, valued at Rs 42,34,720. Together the stock came to 33,286 kg, with a total value of Rs 50,04,580. The stock is suspected to be substandard and wrongly labelled. Action began under the relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.

After inspections in Mumbai on Wednesday and Thursday, the licences of nine establishments were suspended with immediate effect. The action was taken on the allegation of violating Schedule 4 of the Food Safety Regulations, 2011. They include SK Bakery (Mazgaon), Nekzad Restaurant (Grant Road), Foodies Multi Cuisine (Bandra West), Arabian Luqma (Jogeshwari West), Zidz Food and Hospitality, also known as Delhi Zaika (Kurla West), Lite Bite Foods Pvt Ltd, also known as You Mee (R City Mall, Ghatkopar West), Bikkgane Biryani LLP (Govandi, Chembur) and Jubilant Foodworks Ltd, which runs Domino's Pizza (Bhandup West). Zidz Food and Hospitality (Delhi Zaika) appears twice in the FDA's list.

Inspections found kitchens and drainage unclean, and racks and utensils rusted. Returned bread was being mixed with fresh bread, temperature records were incomplete and workers had no medical certificates. The FDA also said unapproved food colours were used in sweets.

In the Nashik division, the FDA raided three places on October 21 and seized 483.4 kg of food worth Rs 1,70,370. At M/s Shri Santaji Trading Company on Tanaji Chowk in Sinnar, 240 kg of VMR refined soybean oil (Rs 43,200) was taken on suspicion of being substandard. Inspectors found that the laboratory there was not functioning, the technical person was absent and no analysis report was available.

In Nashik, 153.4 kg of butter and ghee of the Shree Astha brand was seized at M/s New Huma Trading Company on Phalke Road. It is valued at Rs 1,18,170 and is also suspected to be substandard. The establishment was identified as belonging to Kokani Ehsan Farooq, with the address recorded as House No. 2829, Shop No. 01, Huma Lodge. At the third place, M/s Mahipati Enterprises on Vadner-Pathardi Road, opposite Radhakrishna Petrol Pump at Pimpalgaon Khamb in the CIDCO area of Nashik, 90 kg of yellow sev and papdi worth Rs 9,000 was seized, also suspected to be substandard.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 4,222 kg of jaggery and fennel, worth Rs 2,91,335, was seized on October 21 from M/s Aurangabad Cold Storage LLP at Jadhavwadi, Survey No. 5. It comprised 3,749 kg of loose jaggery (Rs 2,06,195), 25 kg of fennel (Rs 4,500) and 448 kg of New Big Boss brand Special Saunf fennel (Rs 80,640). The FDA said this was part of a drive to ensure the quality and safety of food.

In the same division, licences of two establishments were suspended on Wednesday. Action against a Domino's Pizza outlet in Beed was taken under the provisions of Schedule 4 of the Food Safety Regulations, 2011, while KK Bakers at Rahmat Nagar in Parbhani was acted against after inspection found deficiencies. The action was carried out under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.