Maharashtra FDA suspends food licences of 3 Mumbai restaurants over hygiene issues

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday said it has suspended the food business licences of three leading restaurants in Mumbai after inspections found serious violations of food safety and hygiene norms despite repeated opportunities for compliance.

The action was taken against Shalimar Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Noor Mohammadi Hotel both in Bhendi Bazaar and Rehmania Restaurant in Umerkhadi, all located in south Mumbai, following six inspections carried out by the FDA as part of its enforcement drive.

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The FDA said Shalimar Hospitality's licence was suspended on July 14. During an inspection conducted on April 16, the establishment was found violating food safety norms and was issued an improvement notice on April 28. However, a re-inspection on July 13 found that 25 serious deficiencies still remained unrectified.

According to the regulatory authority, the deficiencies at Shalimar Hospitality included wet and slippery kitchen floors, absence of records relating to raw materials, lack of drinking water quality testing, non-maintenance of edible oil quality records, failure to segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, and open windows without insect-proof mesh.

Noor Mohammadi Hotel's licence was suspended with immediate effect on July 14, a day after an inspection. The FDA found thick layers of black grease on kitchen floors, open windows near the kebab section allowing flies, insects and crows to enter, peeling paint and grease deposits on walls and ceilings, unhygienic storage of raw materials, absence of supplier records, use of old and unclean utensils, lack of drinking water testing records and inadequate drainage arrangements for pest control, it said.

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Rehmania Restaurant at Umerkhadi was also served with an immediate suspension order on July 13 after inspectors found inadequate storage arrangements for food, chemicals and packaging materials, doors without insect-proof protection, rusting and poor-quality equipment, peeling paint and plaster on walls and ceilings, absence of mandatory food testing records and failure to conduct drinking water quality tests.

The FDA said it would continue taking stringent action against any food business operator compromising public health or violating food safety regulations.