Ahead of Diwali, in a crackdown, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 105 food businesses across the state.
The two-day crackdown on November 4 and 5 led to the seizure of nearly 39.5 tonnes of food articles worth Rs 1.35 crore across the state, according to a report by The Times of India.
The seized products included mawa, khoa, paneer, ghee, edible oils, farsan, dry fruits and various sweets.
The FDA ordered seven establishments to shut operations after detecting multiple food safety violations during a special inspection drive. Three of them were in Pune, two in Amravati, and one each in Mumbai and the Konkan region.
The drive covered several big quick-commerce platforms and popular food chains. In Mumbai, the licences of Zepto (Worli) and Blinkit (Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd) were suspended. Eateries including Biryani By Kilo, Tossin Pizza (Worli) and Jumbo Burger also faced the same action, according to NDTV.
Rajdhani Biryani Centre in Borivali was ordered to shut down completely for violating Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations. In Nagpur, a D-Mart outlet on Kamthi Road faced action and refined soybean oil was seized for breaching licence conditions.
According to an official statement, the suspended licences included 39 establishments in the Nashik division, 28 in Mumbai, 20 in Pune, 15 in Amravati, two in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and one in Thane, according to TOI.
The inspections revealed several violations, including unhygienic manufacturing and storage conditions, improper food handling and packaging, inadequate pest control, absence of temperature-control arrangements and failure to maintain mandatory records and certificates.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe warned that businesses putting public health at risk will face strict action. He pointed to the law's provisions, which include life imprisonment and fines of Rs 10 lakh for selling unsafe food that causes death, NDTV reported.
