The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended licences or registrations, or initiated regulatory action, against 21 food establishments across Mumbai, Pune and the Konkan region after inspections found alleged food safety, hygiene, storage and licensing violations. Five of the establishments are in Mumbai, including Barista Coffee Company Limited in Shivaji Park and Sandy Da Dhaba in Madh.
According to the FDA, officials also took action against Rajidi Retail in Bhandup Village, Food Hub cloud kitchen in Malad and Milkow’s Dairy Products in Kandivali. The inspections covered restaurants, bakeries, caterers, cloud kitchens, retailers and other food businesses. Food and drinking water valued at lakhs of rupees were seized during the wider enforcement drive.
At Barista Coffee Company Limited in Shivaji Park, officials reported rusted, damaged and unclean refrigerators and freezers, inadequate temperature control and uncovered food items. The establishment was also found to have failed to properly segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. The FDA said food and water test reports, packaging quality certificates, equipment calibration records, employee medical certificates and training records were unavailable.
Officials reported severe uncleanliness at Sandy Da Dhaba, where rats and flies were found on the premises. The FDA also flagged unhygienic storage of chicken and improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Employee medical and hygiene records were reportedly unavailable.
At Rajidi Retail in Bhandup Village, inspectors found dirty deep freezers, dead flies, pest infestation, broken floor tiles and rusted racks and pallets. Temperature records for cold and freezer rooms were not maintained, while employee medical reports and internal audit records were also unavailable.
The Food Hub cloud kitchen in Malad was described as overcrowded and unclean. The FDA said some food products did not carry manufacturing or expiry dates and that expired spices were found on the premises. Officials also flagged open sewage drains, accumulated water near the entrance and inadequate pest-control measures. Employees had not undergone medical examinations, according to the FDA.
Milkow’s Dairy Products in Kandivali was found to be operating under an incorrect licence category and was required to obtain a manufacturing licence, the FDA said. Inspectors also reported dirty walls and ceilings, inadequate lighting and ventilation, poor pest control, and missing cleaning, sanitisation, calibration and maintenance records.
The wider action included the seizure of 8,020 litres of packaged drinking water valued at Rs 1.63 lakh from Shivay Beverages LLP in Dhule’s MIDC Nardana area. The stock was suspected by officials to be adulterated or substandard. In the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, food products worth around Rs 30.3 lakh were seized during inspections across Jalna, Dharashiv, Hingoli and Nanded.
In Raigad, the FDA seized 65 litres of misbranded loose milk from Shiv Kailas Dairy in Taloja. The stock comprised 40 litres of raw cow milk and 25 litres of raw buffalo milk, with samples collected for further legal action.
Pune accounted for 15 of the 21 establishments facing licence suspension or other regulatory action. Officials cited cockroach infestations, poor sanitation, improper food storage, expired or damaged products and missing food licences at several establishments. The FDA also said Killa Hotel in Wagholi was allegedly preparing and serving food despite being registered only as a retailer.
The administration has urged citizens to report food-quality complaints and suspected malpractice through its toll-free number, 1800222365, or the Food and Drug Administration’s Food and Drug Grievance Portal.
