The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the food licences of five Domino’s Pizza outlets in Pune and Kolhapur after inspections found live cockroaches, remains of dead cockroaches and other food-safety deficiencies in kitchen and storage areas.
The action covers outlets operated by Jubilant FoodWorks Limited at Warje, Hingne Khurd and Chakan in Pune district, and Rajarampuri and Sambhajinagar, A Ward, in Kolhapur. The FDA said the licences were suspended with immediate effect after a special inspection drive on October 13 and 14.
D. V. Bhogawade, Joint Commissioner (Food), Pune Division, said more than 50 Domino’s establishments across the division were inspected during the drive. According to the FDA, live cockroaches and remains of dead cockroaches were found in kitchens and food-storage areas at the outlets where action was taken.
The inspections also identified inadequate segregation of equipment used for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, incomplete temperature records while receiving food supplies, insufficient cleaning and disinfection, and unhygienic food storage. The FDA further reported a foul odour from toilets in customer dining areas and said food-delivery employees were not carrying the prescribed identification cards.
The food licences of the Warje, Hingne Khurd, Rajarampuri and Sambhajinagar outlets were suspended on October 14. The Chakan outlet’s licence was suspended on October 15, the department said. The suspensions prevent the affected establishments from operating under the food licences covered by the orders, although the supplied report does not specify the duration of the action or the conditions required for reinstatement.
Bhogawade said the action followed the detection of serious food-safety and hygiene deficiencies. The inspection drive was conducted under the guidance of Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as part of the administration’s wider campaign against unsafe food, adulteration and unhygienic conditions.
The drive is being conducted under the administration’s “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” initiative and includes hotels, restaurants, prominent food retail chains and establishments involved in online food delivery. The FDA said inspections would continue across the Pune division to protect public health and ensure compliance with food-safety requirements.
The department’s stated next step is to continue special inspections of food businesses across the division. The supplied FDA account does not provide details of any corrective action submitted by Jubilant FoodWorks Limited or indicate when the five outlets may be eligible for a review of the suspensions.
