FDA suspends eight Mumbai eateries, seizes 38 tonnes of food stock across Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of eight eateries in Mumbai, including restaurants, bakeries and outlets of popular food chains, following inspections conducted on October 21 and 22 that revealed serious food safety and hygiene violations.

The FDA said inspections uncovered unhygienic kitchens and drainage systems, rusted racks and utensils, returned bread being mixed with fresh bread, incomplete temperature records, employees without medical certificates and the use of unauthorised food colours in sweets.

The establishments facing suspension include S.K. Bakery in Mazgaon, Nekzad Restaurant in Grant Road, Foodies Multi Cuisine in Bandra West, Arabian Luqma in Jogeshwari West and Delhi Zaiak, operated by Zidz Food and Hospitality, in Kurla West.

Others include You Mee, operated by Lite Bite Foods Pvt Ltd, at R City Mall in Ghatkopar West; Bikkgane Biryani LLP in Govandi-Chembur; and a Domino’s Pizza outlet operated by Jubilant Foodworks Ltd. in Bhandup West.

The FDA said the licences were suspended with immediate effect under the Food Safety and Standards Act. However, it did not specify which violations were detected at individual establishments.

In a separate action on October 21, the FDA also suspended the licences of a Domino’s Pizza outlet in Beed and K.K. Bakers in Rahmat Nagar, Parbhani, over violations of food safety regulations.

Meanwhile, the FDA seized 37,991.4 kg of food stock worth approximately ₹54.66 lakh across Maharashtra during inspections on October 21 over suspected quality and labelling violations.

The largest seizure was reported from Navi Mumbai, where officials confiscated 33,286 kg of rajma and pulses worth ₹50.05 lakh from RDC Agro Ventures Pvt Ltd at the TTC Industrial Area in Shirwane, Nerul. The stock included 10,998 kg of small red rajma and 22,288 kg of whole rajma marketed under the Bullet Pulses name. The FDA said the products were suspected to be substandard and improperly labelled.

In Nashik division, officials seized 483.4 kg of food products worth ₹1.70 lakh from three establishments. These included refined soybean oil from Shri Santaji Trading Company in Sinnar, butter and ghee from New Huma Trading Company, and yellow sev and papdi from Mahipati Enterprises.

At Shri Santaji Trading Company, officials found that the laboratory was not functioning, the technical person was absent and no analysis report was available, the FDA said.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, authorities seized 4,222 kg of jaggery and fennel seeds worth ₹2.91 lakh from Aurangabad Cold Storage LLP in Jadhavwadi.

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe urged consumers to report food quality complaints or malpractice through the toll-free number 1800222365 or the department’s online grievance portal.