Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended 30 food licences and seized 50,601.78 kg of food products worth Rs 1.19 crore during a statewide crackdown on food safety violations ahead of the festive season.

The action, carried out between September 23 and 27, covered food establishments across the state, with inspections uncovering alleged hygiene violations, unsafe storage practices and suspected substandard and adulterated products.

According to an FDA statement issued on Monday, licences or registration certificates of 13 establishments in Mumbai, six in the Konkan division, eight in Pune division and three in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division were suspended.

Several establishments, including Kyani & Co, Colaba Sweet Mart, Arun Vilas Farsan, Ruchi Veg Restaurant, Daffodils Fast Food Inn and Subway, faced action over alleged violations of food safety and hygiene standards.

Cats, cockroaches and sewage violations in Mumbai eateries

An inspection of Kyani & Co in Kalbadevi revealed cats, rat droppings, live flies and dead cockroaches in food preparation and storage areas. Officials also found blood collected inside a refrigerator and an open sewage manhole in the processing section, the FDA said.

At Colaba Sweet Mart, inspectors found live cockroaches, lizards, flies and larvae. The establishment was also found to be lacking mandatory pest-control measures, staff medical fitness records and personal protective equipment.

The licences of Arun Vilas Farsan in Dharavi and Ruchi Veg Restaurant in Parel were suspended over hygiene and sanitation violations.

Daffodils Fast Food Inn in Vile Parle lost its licence after officials found extremely unhygienic conditions, including dirty refrigeration equipment, non-functional temperature displays and food stored alongside workers' belongings.

The licence of EverSub India Pvt Ltd, which operates a Subway outlet in Lower Parel, was also suspended. The inspection reportedly found a faulty refrigerator, a mould-like layer, a foul smell and live cockroaches.

The FDA initiated legal action against QSR Brands India, Royal China, Tiffin, United Bakery & Stores, Shree Padmavati Enterprises and Hotel Purandar Vilas for alleged violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act and related provisions.

Action against food businesses across Maharashtra

In the Konkan division, the FDA suspended licences or registrations of six establishments in Thane, including Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd and Foclo Technologies Pvt Ltd, which operates Instamart.

The action covered food storage, handling and distribution practices. Shri Siddhivinayak Foods, Chainess Dot Com, Jyoti Foods and New Golden Even Fresh Bakery were among the other establishments covered by the inspections.

In Pune division, the licence of a National Commodities Management Services warehouse at Tanang in Sangli district was suspended over unsafe fumigation practices and improper storage.

The FDA also initiated legal action against Hotel Ashok Sai Niketan, Shivray Foods, Samarth Hospitality Services, Ajinkya Restaurant, Hotel Lokshahi, Hotel Surabhi and Nukkad Restaurant over alleged violations of licence conditions and hygiene requirements.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, action was taken against Bangalore Bakery in Parbhani, Siddhanath Nagnath Agrovet Farmer Producer Company in Hingoli and Appa Chaha Center in Beed for alleged hygiene and sanitation violations.

Food products worth lakhs seized

The FDA seized 6,366.88 kg of food products worth Rs 28.54 lakh in Pune, Kolhapur and Solapur districts.

The seized items included khoa, paneer, ghee, cream, sweets, shrikhand, lassi, coconut oil, farsan, potato wafers and bhadang. Some products were suspected to be substandard, adulterated, unsafe or incorrectly labelled.

In the Konkan division, officials seized 23,806.90 kg of food products valued at around Rs 39.99 lakh. The items included sev, chivda, gathiya, namkeen, wafers, oils, spices, dry fruits, tea, khoa, sauces, noodles, raw milk and sweets.

The action covered Thane, Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Sindhudurg.

Milk and milk-based products were among the items seized at several locations. In Pune, officials seized 385 kg of khoa and 19 kg of white butter. Another 909 kg of khoa and 349 kg of paneer were seized from a dairy in Khed. Suspected substandard milk and khoa were also seized in the Konkan region.

The FDA extended its enforcement drive to Jalgaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Akola.

"In Jalgaon, 7,749.9 kg of food products worth Rs 4.28 lakh were seized, while in Nagpur division food products worth Rs 32.74 lakh were seized or destroyed for unhygienic storage, adulteration, substandard quality, labelling defects and operation without a licence," it said.

Banned food products worth Rs 30.63 lakh seized

Separately, the FDA inspected 26 establishments across the Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Sambhajinagar and Nagpur divisions for the storage, sale and distribution of banned food products.

"Banned stock worth Rs 30.63 lakh was seized, 22 FIRs were registered, 30 people were arrested, three establishments were sealed and three vehicles worth Rs 14.80 lakh were seized," as per the statement.

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the government would continue strict legal action against establishments selling or storing expired, tampered or unhygienically prepared food products.