FDA suspends licences of 10 Chandrapur establishments, seizes food stock worth Rs 36 lakh

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has run a special inspection drive in Chandrapur district during the festive season to curb adulteration. According to the administration, 92 establishments were inspected and 170 samples of food and drink were taken for analysis.

The inspections found serious lapses in food safety and cleanliness. As a result, 51 establishments were served improvement notices, while the licences or registration certificates of 10 establishments were suspended.

The FDA also seized 8,988 kg of food stock over suspected adulteration or quality problems. The stock is valued at Rs 36 lakh. The seized goods include edible oil, khoa, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, assorted spices, jaggery, groundnuts and tea leaves.

The administration said people buy sweets, faral (festive snacks), edible oil and spices in large quantities during festivals, and some traders could take advantage of this to sell substandard or adulterated goods. The drive has been stepped up in view of this.

The FDA also gave figures for the past seven months. Between April 1 and October 31, 2026, 316 samples were taken from food establishments across the district and sent for testing. Of these, 210 samples were declared to meet standards, while reports on 96 are still awaited.

Among the remaining samples, three were found to be of low quality, five misbranded and two unsafe. In eight of these cases, cases have been filed before the Joint Commissioner, Nagpur, for adjudication. Further action continues in the other cases.

In the same seven months, 243 food establishments in the district were inspected. Improvement notices were issued to 135 establishments for violations of rules and lapses in cleanliness. Licences of 10 establishments were suspended. In addition, punitive action was taken against 29 establishments and fines of Rs 2.20 lakh were recovered.

Assistant Commissioner (Food and Drugs) Pravin Umap said food business operators must conduct their business in strict compliance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and its Rules and Regulations, 2011. He said strict action would be taken against those who break the rules. According to Umap, every citizen has a right to pure and safe food, and those who adulterate food items will not be spared.