A Bhiwandi sweet shop has been ordered to stop business after a video purportedly showing a rat inside a container of gulab jamuns triggered complaints from residents and prompted an inspection by food and drug administration officials.
The shop, identified as Harish Gulab Jamun, was inspected after the video surfaced on social media and residents gathered outside the establishment on Wednesday evening seeking action over alleged food hygiene violations. The FDA team collected samples of gulab jamun and other food items from the premises for testing.
According to the report, officials also prepared a panchnama during the inspection. The team found that the establishment did not have the mandatory Food Business Registration Certificate, following which the department issued a stop-business notice directing the shop to cease operations.
The video showed a rodent moving inside a container that appeared to contain gulab jamuns. The footage has not been independently verified in the supplied report, but its circulation prompted public concern and regulatory intervention. The FDA inspection and the action over the missing registration certificate are the confirmed steps reported after the incident.
Residents described Harish Gulab Jamun as a well-known local shop that had been popular for its sweets. They said the reported incident had raised concerns about basic hygiene and the quality controls followed by food establishments serving the public. “We have been buying sweets from this shop for years. Such an incident is shocking and has raised serious questions about hygiene and the quality of food being served,” residents said, according to the report.
The case highlights the role of food regulators in responding to complaints involving establishments that serve ready-to-eat products. Registration requirements provide authorities with a formal basis to identify and regulate food businesses, while inspections and laboratory testing determine whether further action is warranted.
The food samples collected during the inspection are expected to be sent for analysis. Further action against the shop will depend on the inspection findings and the laboratory reports, according to the report. The stop-business notice remains the immediate regulatory measure described in the supplied information.
