In a special festive-season drive, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended licences of 19 food business operators, including a super distributor of Patanjali Ayurved.
Food products worth over Rs 9 crore were also seized during this drive. According to the FDA, approximately 3.53 lakh kg of food articles valued at Rs 9.01 crore from 114 establishments were seized.
What was included in the seized food articles?
According to PTI, 2,279.7 litres of Patanjali cow ghee worth ₹20.20 lakh from M/s Divya Mahavitarak, a super distributor of Patanjali Ayurved in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was seized on suspicion of misbranding and adulteration.
This included 4,032 units of ghee, comprising 2,998 units (1,349.1 litres) valued at ₹12.29 lakh and 1,034 units (930.6 litres) worth ₹7.91 lakh. The stock was prima facie found to be in contravention of provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the FDA informed.
Regarding the licences and registrations of 19 establishments, officials mentioned that it included namkeen, sweetmeat and spice manufacturing units in Mumbai, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions. The licences were suspended over serious hygiene deficiencies and violations of food safety regulations.
The action included establishments found operating in unhygienic conditions, storing food improperly, lacking pest control and cleaning records, failing to maintain mandatory documentation and not complying with prescribed safety standards, it said.
The FDA said the drive also resulted in seizure of 1,44,218 kg of edible oil from Avenue Supermarts Ltd in Bhiwandi, Thane district, while 20,560 kg of rice, pulses, jaggery and other food articles were seized from Amin Traders in Satara.
The FDA said that between October 28 and 31, banned food articles worth Rs 79.40 lakh were seized from 17 establishments.
(With PTI inputs)
