The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 25 food establishments and four food oil and spice manufacturing units during a statewide enforcement drive, including two Domino’s Pizza outlets in Parbhani and Jalna where inspectors found gaps involving vegetarian and non-vegetarian food handling, hygiene, storage and waste management.
The action was reported as part of the FDA’s “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” campaign in the Marathwada region. The department also seized more than 9,000 kilograms of food products valued at over Rs 15 lakh in the regional operations after identifying concerns about their safety. Across six divisions, the FDA said it seized nearly 81,330 kilograms of suspected substandard, adulterated or mislabelled food products worth Rs 1.73 crore.
At an outlet in Yeldarkar Colony in Parbhani, inspectors found that vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas were being prepared on the same screen and that the preparation table did not have separate arrangements for the two categories. According to an FDA official cited in the report, this created a risk of cross-contamination.
The inspection also found packets of spoiled frozen capsicum, an expired bottle of vinegar and improper cold-storage practices. The outlet had no records showing checks on cooking oil quality or its reuse. Inspectors further reported open drains, uncovered waste bins near the food-preparation area, inadequate cleaning, insufficient hand-washing facilities and a lack of required protective equipment for workers.
The FDA also cited the absence of mandatory calorie information and a system for addressing customer complaints. These findings led to the suspension of the outlet’s licence, according to the report.
At another outlet of the same pizza chain in Jalna, inspectors found that compliance stood at 37 per cent during the inspection. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas were reportedly being prepared using the same oven and pans. Other deficiencies included inadequate arrangements for storing hot and cold food, unhygienic delivery boxes, a lack of oil-quality checks, delayed waste removal and water accumulation in the food-preparation area. The outlet’s licence was also suspended.
The enforcement action extended beyond restaurant outlets. In Nanded, the FDA seized 64 kilograms of chilli, turmeric and coriander powder valued at Rs 19,360 from a spice-manufacturing unit over suspicions that the products were substandard or unsafe. The unit recorded 38 per cent compliance during inspection, and samples were sent for laboratory testing.
At Lasur Station in Gangapur taluka of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, officials seized 9,165 kilograms of refined soybean oil valued at more than Rs 15 lakh from a repackaging unit. The FDA cited missing laboratory testing records, the absence of a full-time technical expert, poor sanitation, inadequate ventilation, pest-control failures and non-compliance with water-testing and packaging-certification requirements.
The FDA said samples from the seized products had been sent for laboratory analysis. Legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act will follow after the reports are received, according to the department’s statement cited in the report.
