Maharashtra FDA suspends licences of 30 eateries, dark stores over hygiene breaches

Continuing its aggressive prefestive action across the state the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA has suspended the operational licences of 30 prominent eateries quickcommerce dark stores catering hubs and bakeries after uncovering hygiene breachesThe recently conducted threeday statewide drive resulted in the seizure of substandard food items worth R1622 lakh Rs 6767 lakh in banned gutkha and paan masala and 18 arrestsCrackdown in MumbaiIn Mumbai 11 licences were revoked with immediate effect At Annadata Aahar Kendra Zunka Bhakar Kendra in Khar West flying insects ants stagnant water and lack of water test reports invited closurePotatoes onions stored outside a toilet at PR Jena Caterers PicsBy Special ArrangementGirgaonrsquos New English Bakery saw workers kneading dough barefoot on the floor with rusted utensils while St Philomena Bakery in Mazgaon was found using inkstained newspapers to wrap pav baked on sootcaked racksQuickcommerce giant Blinkit saw two dark stores shuttered mdash in Sion Koliwada and Sewri West mdash after failing improvement notices with inspectors discovering haphazard stockpiles rusted sugar crates cobwebbed walls and beverages dumped directly on damp floors In Kurla West Sodexo India Services faced suspension over heavy cockroach and worm infestations inside student dining suppliesCaterers under scannerOfficials also seized banned gutkha and paan masala in bulk REPRESENTATION PICSI STOCKAt BandraKurla Complex PR Jena Caterers was caught storing raw potatoes and onions outside a toilet alongside improperly thawed frozen seafood Meanwhile the kitchen of Shetty Catering Service inside Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi was shut for scattered food waste unmonitored cooking oil and no pest control Shutdown orders also hit Favourite Takeaway and Kohinoor Hospitality Management Applied Training Centre in Dadar West alongside Swinsta Enterprises in Chembur for blatant noncompliance of basic food safety normsAdulterated festive essentialsRaids targeting adulterated festive essentials led to the seizure of 430 kg of counterfeit Amul cheese unlabelled ghee packets unhygienic oils and grains from stores and suppliers in Pune Nagpur and Bhandara districtsStatewide driveAcross the Konkan belt 12 establishments faced crackdowns In Thane the axe fell on Maxoil Enterprises in Wagle Estate Hyderabad House in Waghbil Pratish Enterprises R Mall Jai Bharat Restaurant on Station Road Neelkamal Bakery in Kalyan West New Sunrise Bakery in Kalyan East New Good Luck Bakery and Store in Kalwa Gulistan Family Restaurant in Mumbra and RK Dairy in KalwaRaigad FDA suspended the licence of Dattaray Restaurant in Karjat alongside Rushita Foods and Subway Culinary Brands India in Khalapur for violating Schedule IV food handling normsPune Licences of six food joints were suspended for flouting mandatory sanitary standards These include Sai Prasad Veg Navi Peth Manas Family Resto and Lounge Shivajinagar Hotel Malaj Sinhagad Road Shivarsh Veg Restaurant Warje Hotel Rajput Shirur and JK Chinese BaramatiBeed Licence of hotel Samarth in Kaij was suspended while Dhole Food Products in Wadwani was sealed with R117 lakh in farsan seized for operating without a valid license and misleading consumers with old label permits