The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) girls’ hostel mess for 14 days after an inspection found cockroach activity, food hygiene violations and gaps in mandatory documentation.
The FDA team inspected the mess on October 6 following complaints about insects in food and food-quality concerns. Ajinkya Umap, Food Safety Officer at FDA Shivajinagar, said videos shared online had been forwarded to senior officials, after which the department was instructed to take action.
During the inspection, officials recorded pest activity, problems related to food handling and cleaning, poor personal hygiene among food handlers, and general cleanliness violations. The inspection also found that the mess did not have medical reports for food handlers or pest-control reports, according to the FDA.
“There were some videos shared online of insects in animals and issues with food quality. The viral reels were forwarded to me by our seniors and we were asked to take action,” Umap said.
The FDA officer prepared a report and submitted it online to senior assistant commissioner Imran Hashmi. A hearing was held on October 8, following which the licence was suspended for 14 days. The mess operator can take corrective measures and apply for reinstatement after the suspension period.
The action follows a similar suspension in June involving SPPU’s Refectory Mess. At that time, FDA officers cited poor personal hygiene among food handlers, including the absence of aprons, gloves and headgear. They also pointed to missing medical fitness certificates, water-testing records and pest-control reports.
The earlier inspection had further identified vegetables chopped a day in advance, food stored in uncovered vessels and the use of rusted metallic vessels. The repeated findings place the university’s food-service oversight under scrutiny, particularly because the affected facilities serve students living on campus.
Abhishek Shelkar, president of the University Student Struggle Action Committee and a student member of SPPU’s Canteen Quality Control Committee, welcomed the FDA action but called for permanent institutional measures. He said the university administration should ensure safe and nutritious food for students and immediately consider starting a central mess under the university’s direct control.
The current suspension gives the mess operator 14 days to address the violations and seek reinstatement of the food licence. The FDA’s decision on any such application will determine whether the facility can resume operations.
