Thane / Mumbai: Enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against public health hazards, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra, led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, has executed an aggressive enforcement operation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) under the state-wide campaign 'Safe Food, Safe Medicine, Safe Maharashtra'. In an early-morning operation in Thane's industrial pocket along Shil-Diva Road, FDA inspection teams raided 11 unlicensed and substandard manufacturing units, confiscating nearly 29 tonnes (28,955.5 kg) of adulterated food ingredients and 56 litres of suspicious cooking oil valued at ₹20,48,801.50. Simultaneously, the state regulator suspended operating licences of multiple commercial food setups across Mumbai, Pune, Konkan, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for critical food-handling and hygiene violations. For consumer safety advisories, food business registration guidelines, and grievance lodgement, visit the Food and Drug Administration Maharashtra Portal.

The Shil-Diva Crackdown: 11 Unlicensed Units Shut Down

Acting on specific actionable intelligence regarding the mass manufacture of spurious festive farsan and namkeen in hazardous conditions, FDA Thane teams targeted industrial setups inside Bhaskar Compound at Khardi Village:

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  • Contraband and Adulterated Stocks: Seizures encompassed large volumes of potato wafers, spicy wafers, black pepper wafers, farali chivda, diet chivda, mixed farsan, sev, bhakarwadi, Schezwan sticks, and banana chips.
  • Substandard Raw Ingredients: Commercial bags of maida (refined flour), besan (gram flour), and pea flour were confiscated over suspicions of blending with non-permitted starches and synthetic colorants.
  • Rancid Cooking Oils: Over 56 litres of reused cooking oil and palmolein barrels exhibiting degraded Total Polar Compounds (TPC) levels were confiscated.
  • Deplorable Factory Sanitation: Establishments operated in temporary tin sheds with greasy floors, open drainage, foul odors, and severe rodent and cockroach infestations without basic employee protective gear like aprons or gloves. Immediate stop-work orders and licence suspensions were served across all 11 units.

Mumbai and Statewide Licences Suspended for Hygiene Breaches

Expanding the enforcement net, the regulatory body suspended licences and registrations of 11 commercial establishments across urban hubs—including 6 in Mumbai, 3 in Pune, 1 in Konkan, and 1 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

  • The Kanjurmarg Hygiene Action: The FDA suspended the operating licence of Shri Gajanan Vadapav and Snacks Centre in Kanjurmarg West after inspectors found food handlers actively chewing tobacco in preparation areas, unmonitored temperature controls, and unsealed food-prep enclosures.
  • Dark Stores and Central Base Kitchens: Rapid-delivery dark stores and commercial base kitchens faced suspensions following discoveries of live cockroach infestations, unhygienic drainage channels, absence of staff medical fitness certificates, and severe cold-chain failures (such as dairy products stored at ambient temperatures).
  • Railway Catering and Bakeries: Inspections were conducted across five railway passenger base kitchens and suburban bakeries, with immediate improvement directives issued to address water potability and pest control lapses.

Festival Directives: 7-Day Advance Notice for Mass Feeds

Ahead of Ganeshotsav and the festive season, Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe issued an executive directive: organizers of community feasts, public Ganesh mandals, and religious trusts conducting mass food distributions must submit an advance notification form on the State Food & Drug Grievance Portal at least seven days prior to the event to enable official hygiene audits and prasad testing.