Tukaram Mundhe-led Maharashtra FDA raids 11 food units in Thane, seizes Rs 20.48 lakh material

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, has stepped up enforcement against food establishments found violating food safety and hygiene standards across the state.

The FDA Maharashtra raided 11 food manufacturing units in Thane’s Shil-Diva area and seized raw materials, finished food products and edible oil worth Rs 20.48 lakh, the department said.

The FDA Thane team conducted the raid at units located in Khardi Village, Bhaskar Compound, on Wednesday.


"The Government of Maharashtra maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding food quality and enforcement of food safety laws. Compromising public health or consumer safety will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict legal action will continue against anyone selling or storing expired or adulterated food items," said Tukaram Munde, Commissioner, FDA, Maharashtra.

During the action, the department seized over 28,955 kg of solid food materials and raw ingredients, along with 56 litres of oil valued at Rs 20,48,801.50.

The seized items included potato wafers, farali chivda, mixed farsan, bhakarwadi, schezwan sticks, banana chips, refined flour, gram flour and palm oil, according to the FDA.

The department also said organisers of mass food distribution events during festivals will have to submit a prior notification form on the Food & Drug Grievance Portal at least seven days before the event.

The FDA further said licences and registrations of prominent eateries in Mumbai (6), Konkan (1), Pune (3) and Sambhajinagar (1) have been suspended due to major safety violations.

Further action will continue against those violating food safety laws, the administration said.

Earlier on Wednesday, under the state campaign ‘Safe Food, Safe Medicine, Safe Maharashtra’, the FDA Maharashtra took enforcement action against prominent eateries, dark stores and dairy suppliers over critical hygiene and food safety violations.

According to a press release, the FDA Maharashtra inspected five base kitchens and food plazas supplying railway passengers under railway catering services. It suspended the food licence of a Mumbai hotel over severe cockroach infestation, unhygienic transportation and injured food handlers, while issuing improvement notices to four other suppliers.

The FDA Maharashtra also suspended licences for e-commerce platforms after finding severe live cockroach infestations, critical cold-chain breaches involving dairy stored above safe temperatures, expired goods and unhygienic drainage.

(With inputs from ANI)