Pune’s Food and Drug Administration has suspended the FSSAI registration of a Punjabi dhaba in Lohegaon after an inspection found food-safety deficiencies and serious concerns over the use of food colours. The Pune division has warned that hotels, restaurants, dhabas, sweet shops and farsan manufacturers could face immediate regulatory and legal action for using unauthorised colours or exceeding permitted limits.
The inspection was conducted on Thursday, October 8, by food safety officer Priyanka Magar at the Lohegaon establishment. According to the Pune FDA, the inspection identified multiple shortcomings related to hygiene and food safety, along with violations concerning the use of food colours. The establishment’s FSSAI registration was suspended with immediate effect after the violations were considered together.
Under food safety regulations, a colour may be used only in food products for which it is permitted and only within the prescribed limit. The Pune FDA said that using a colour in a product where it is not authorised, or using an approved colour in a quantity above the permitted level, would be treated as a serious violation of food safety law.
The warning places responsibility not only on restaurants and food outlets but also on manufacturers of sweets and farsan products. These businesses must maintain complete information about the colours used in their products, including the exact name and type of the colour, whether its use is permitted in the relevant food item and the maximum quantity allowed for that product.
The department said that merely claiming to use an “approved food colour” would not be sufficient to meet compliance requirements. Food businesses must be able to establish which colour was used, how much was added and what legal limit applies to the product. The absence of information about the identity of a colour, its quantity or its permitted limit could also result in action under the law.
The enforcement warning is significant for Pune’s dense food-service network, where prepared meals, sweets and farsan products are sold through a wide range of commercial establishments. The FDA’s stated approach links product appearance and visual appeal directly to compliance responsibilities: businesses cannot prioritise colour or presentation at the expense of consumer health.
“Consumer health should not be compromised to improve the colour, appearance and attractiveness of food products,” said Digambar Bhogawade, joint commissioner of the Pune division’s food administration. He said all food businesses must prepare and sell products in accordance with food safety standards and added that legal action would follow if violations were found during inspections.
The Pune FDA has not disclosed in the supplied report the specific food colours, quantities or products involved in the Lohegaon case. It has, however, made clear that further inspections could result in suspension of licences or registrations and court proceedings where unauthorised use or excess quantities are detected.
