MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of four hotels and food establishments, including the popular south Mumbai eatery Ayub’s, following inspections that found multiple food safety and hygiene violations, officials said on Tuesday.The regulator also seized food products worth Rs 2.24 crore during its state-wide enforcement drive aimed at checking food safety violations and adulteration.The FDA inspected 37 hotels, restaurants and eateries across Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur. Improvement notices were issued to 31 establishments, while the licences of four were suspended.The four establishments facing licence suspension are Ayub’s in Fort, Mumbai; an eatery operated by M/s Sankalp Mahila Audyogik Utpadak Sahakari Sanstha Ltd in Kurla; Burhampur Jalebi Centre in Pratap Nagar, Nagpur; and Step In Restaurant in Giripeth, Nagpur.At Ayub’s, which was inspected on August 22, officials found several serious food safety and hygiene lapses. These included storing high-risk food such as eggs at room temperature, inadequate segregation of raw and cooked food, unhygienic food-handling areas, open and poorly maintained drains, stagnant water, houseflies and inadequate pest-control measures.The FDA also flagged deficiencies in personal hygiene facilities for food handlers, food testing and traceability records. Ayub’s licence was suspended from August 23 under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and relevant rules and regulations.The licence of the Kurla-based Sankalp Mahila Audyogik Utpadak Sahakari Sanstha Ltd was also suspended with immediate effect. In Nagpur, Burhampur Jalebi Centre and Step In Restaurant faced similar action after inspections found violations of prescribed food safety and hygiene requirements.The FDA clarified that the suspensions were administrative actions following regular inspections and were not immediate or “tatkal” suspensions.Of the 37 establishments inspected, 12 were in Mumbai, 14 in Pune, seven in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and four in Nagpur. Improvement notices were issued to 10 establishments in Mumbai, 14 in Pune, five in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and two in Nagpur.The largest seizure involved 55,996 kg of roasted arecanut worth Rs 2.23 crore in Nagpur. The total food products seized during the drive weighed 60,709.8 kg and were valued at Rs 2,24,61,888.Separately, the FDA seized 4,317 kg of food products worth Rs 7.26 lakh from an unlicensed food business in Pune. In Jalgaon, officials also detected 396.8 kg of suspected adulterated loose refined soybean oil, samples of which were sent for laboratory analysis.The FDA said the enforcement drive was part of its continuing efforts to ensure food safety and quality across Maharashtra. It warned that strict regulatory and legal action would be taken against establishments found violating food safety norms.
