Mumbai: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the business licences of two more elite clubs in the city –The Bombay Presidency Radio Club in Colaba and the Khar Gymkhana — over alleged severe hygiene violations, including lack of pest control, improper thawing of frozen food, and spitting marks observed on the premises.Inspections at The Bombay Presidency Radio Club allegedly showed a non-compliance rate of 47% due to an “infestation of live flies in various areas of the kitchen” and “dead cockroaches”. Furthermore, washing powder and other chemicals were stored close to food items, refrigerators used for meat were in an unclean condition, and dustbins were kept right next to cooking stoves.For Khar Gymkhana, registration certificate was suspended after authorities found that the establishment allegedly failed to segregate raw and cooked food items, leading to a cross-contamination risk. Officials claimed the club lacked hot water facilities for dishwashing, did not properly thaw frozen food, failed to maintain systematic cleaning and temperature control schedules, and neglected installation of necessary grease and cockroach traps in its drainage system.The licence of Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd, which runs a McDonald’s outlet in Colaba, also had its licence suspended. The action followed a re-inspection which allegedly showed that McDonald’s had failed to rectify 18 of the 20 previously observed problems. Food inspectors found faulty refrigeration, live cockroach infestations, scattered rotted food waste, and dust-covered light fixtures lacking protective shields.FDA alleged McDonald’s submitted a false compliance report and engaged in misleading trade practices by using non-dairy analogue cheese preparations while claiming to use real dairy products without customer notification.“A message stating ‘Real Food Real Good Mission’ was displayed, claiming the use of natural dairy products (real cheese and real paneer). But the stock and use of processed non-dairy/analogue preparations like ‘GO Cheese Sauce’ were found,” the FDA said in a statement.In Malad, the food business licence of Ingenious Kitchens Private Limited, operating as Novaara, was suspended after a follow-up inspection allegedly showed 14 out of 25 serious deficiencies from a prior notice remained uncorrected. The establishment allegedly faced issues such as outdated cooking utensils, missing grease and cockroach traps in drainage lines, and unverified medical records.Based on a consumer complaint, action was also taken against Supreme Enterprise Status Restaurant in Nariman Point; its food business licence was suspended due to severe unsanitary conditions. The FDA noted that unclean cutlery was used, along with heavy layers of oil and grease on equipment, rusted metals, and missing temperature monitoring logs.
