Licences of 11 food establishments, including two Domino’s Pizza outlets in Bhandup West and Beed, have been suspended over hygiene violations and other food safety lapses. Inspections on October 21 and 22 uncovered unhygienic kitchens, rusted utensils, improper bread handling and other violations.
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 11 food establishments, including two Domino’s Pizza outlets, over hygiene violations and other food safety lapses. The action followed inspections conducted on October 21 and 22 across the state. The FDA also seized 37,991.4 kg of food stock worth approximately Rs 54.66 lakh during the inspection drive, according to an official statement issued on Thursday. Nine establishments in Mumbai and two in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division had their licences suspended. The violations included unhygienic kitchens, poor drainage, rusted equipment and the use of unauthorised food colours in sweets.
Why Did Maharashtra FDA Suspend Food Licences?
According to the FDA, inspections revealed several violations of food safety regulations. These included mixing of returned bread with fresh stock, incomplete temperature records and workers not having the required medical certificates.
Officials also found unhygienic kitchen conditions and drainage systems, along with rusted racks and utensils. The use of unauthorised food colours in sweets was another violation recorded during the inspections.
Related Articles
The action was taken under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The nine establishments in Mumbai whose licences were suspended were S K Bakery in Mazgaon, Nekzad Restaurant in Grant Road, Foodies Multi Cuisine in Bandra West, Arabian Luqma in Jogeshwari West, Delhi Zaiak in Kurla West, You Mee at R City Mall in Ghatkopar West, Bikkgane Biryani in Govandi and Domino’s Pizza in Bhandup West. The statement also named a Domino’s outlet in Beed and K K Bakers in Rahmat Nagar, Parbhani.
FDA Seizes Nearly 38 Tonnes Of Food Stock
Apart from suspending licences, the FDA seized food products suspected to be substandard or linked to other quality concerns.
The Konkan division recorded the largest seizure, with officials confiscating 33,286 kg of rajma and pulses worth around Rs 50.05 lakh from RDC Agro Ventures Pvt Ltd in Navi Mumbai. The stock was suspected to be substandard and incorrectly labelled, the statement said.
In the Nashik division, officials seized 483.4 kg of food products worth approximately Rs 1.70 lakh. The items included refined soybean oil, butter, ghee, yellow sev and papdi.
The action followed concerns about product quality. At one establishment, officials found that a functioning laboratory, a technical person and analysis reports were absent.
Meanwhile, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division seized 4,222 kg of jaggery and fennel seeds worth around Rs 2.91 lakh from Aurangabad Cold Storage LLP.
Food Safety Checks Across Maharashtra
The statewide drive targeted violations that could affect food quality and hygiene. The FDA's findings included problems with storage practices, equipment, staff documentation and product labelling.
The suspension of the 11 licences and seizure of food stock formed part of the authority's action under food safety regulations. The statement did not provide further details on the duration of the suspensions or when the establishments might be allowed to resume operations.
(With inputs from agencies)
