Mumbai: As part of a festive-season drive this month, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended 68 licences across Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Nagpur and Amravati.Many of these suspensions were due to severe hygiene and food safety violations. Officials found cockroach and rat infestations, unclean kitchens and drainage systems, unauthorised food colours and the improper segregation of raw items.The statewide enforcement operations and inspections have resulted in total stock seizures amounting to Rs 12.7 crore. Across the state, substandard, possibly adulterated and in some cases incorrectly labelled food stock weighing 3,74,762 kg and 28,297 litres was seized. This was valued at Rs 9.1 crore. It covered edible oils, spices, milk products, sweets, farsan, tea, dry fruits and other food articles.One of the major actions taken was in Thane and Pune, where officials seized 8,392 kg of food stock, valued at Rs 48 lakh. The food items consisted of expired, spoiled or substandard goods originally earmarked for destruction. Officials said that rather than safely disposing of them, many establishments were using the items illegally and diverting them back into the consumer supply chain.Additionally, action against prohibited gutka, pan masala and flavoured tobacco across the state led to seizures worth about Rs 3.1 crore. In these cases, 22 FIRs have been registered with local police, leading to 20 arrests.At Manor in Palghar district, prohibited stock worth about Rs 1.3 crore was seized from a vehicle. Within Mumbai, the seizure of chewing tobacco was valued at Rs 24.6 lakh.
