Maharashtra FDA suspends 19 licences and seizes food worth over Rs 9 crore in crackdown
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration halted licences of 19 operators and confiscated food items valued at more than Rs 9 crore after inspections across seven divisions.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has suspended the licences of 19 food business operators and seized food products worth Rs 9.01 crore during a festive-season inspection campaign. The operation covered 114 establishments in seven divisions of the state.
Among the seized items were 2,279.7 litres of Patanjali cow ghee, valued at Rs 20.20 lakh, from a Patanjali Ayurved super-distributor in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on suspicion of misbranding and adulteration. In total, 4,032 units of the ghee were confiscated, with a combined value of Rs 20.20 lakh.
The FDA also reported that licences and registrations of the 19 establishments, which include namkeen, sweetmeat and spice manufacturers in Mumbai, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions, were suspended due to serious hygiene deficiencies and violations of food-safety regulations. Inspectors found unhygienic conditions, improper storage, lack of pest-control and cleaning records, and missing mandatory documentation.
Additional seizures included 144,218 kg of edible oil from Avenue Supermarts Ltd in Bhiwandi, 20,560 kg of rice, pulses, jaggery and other items from Amin Traders in Satara, and edible oil from Swati Oil Mills and S G Traders in Pune division. Between October 28 and 31, the FDA confiscated banned food articles worth Rs 79.40 lakh from 17 establishments.
The crackdown resulted in 13 FIRs, the arrest of 16 individuals, the sealing of seven establishments and the seizure of six vehicles. Inspectors also examined 34 hotels, restaurants and dhabas in Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur divisions, issuing 29 improvement notices for food-safety and hygiene lapses.
The actions were taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Separately, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued show-cause notices to Tata 1mg Healthcare Solutions, ACFO Pharmaceuticals, Amazon Seller Services and Flipkart India regarding alleged labeling and advertising violations of a marine collagen product, requesting responses within 30 days.