Mumbai, Nov 14 (PTI) The Maharashtra FDA has seized food articles, health supplements and other products worth Rs 1.9 crore across the state, taken action against 27 establishments and suspended the licences of popular Pune eateries Vaishali and Rupali over poor hygiene.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted simultaneous inspections at 17 establishments dealing in health supplements and nutraceuticals across six divisions in the state on November 13, the agency said in a statement on Saturday.
It seized stocks worth Rs 1.38 crore containing ingredients whose approval applications had been rejected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, said officials.
The inspections covered the Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Nagpur, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions. Officials found the use of Magnesium Acetyl Taurate and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide in health supplements and foods meant for special dietary use, it said.
The FDA said manufacturers had produced these products without obtaining the required approval, while marketers had sold them without including the relevant food category in their licences. Officials seized the suspected stocks and sent samples to laboratories for testing.
The value of the seized health supplements stood at Rs 57.30 lakh in the Nagpur division, followed by Rs 47.65 lakh in Konkan and Rs 30.57 lakh in Pune division.
The regulator also suspended the food business licences of popular Pune eateries Hotel Vaishali and Rupali Restaurant on Fergusson College Road with immediate effect.
At Hotel Vaishali, food preparation areas and equipment were located close to toilets. Cooked food and batter were kept in an open corridor, while officials found improper storage of vegetables and the absence of temperature records and water test reports, the statement said.
At Rupali Restaurant, officials found an unprotected kitchen, waterlogging, inadequate cleaning and improper waste management. Raw and cooked food items were stored uncovered and without proper labelling, it said.
Both establishments cannot conduct any food business, including takeaway and home delivery, until they rectify the deficiencies, clear a fresh inspection and obtain written permission from the FDA, the statement said.
In another action, the FDA seized 21,004 litres of suspected “substandard edible oil worth Rs 45.95 lakh from an establishment of Avenue Supermarts Limited” in Kolhapur district, the statement said.
The department took action against seven establishments and vehicles involved in the storage or sale of prohibited food products, including gutka, scented pan masala, scented tobacco and scented supari.
It seized prohibited food stocks worth Rs 3.92 lakh and a goods carrier vehicle. The action covered six establishments in Greater Mumbai and one case in Pune. The FDA registered five offences against seven accused.
The consolidated seizure included health supplements worth Rs 1.38 crore, edible oil worth Rs 45.95 lakh and prohibited food articles and a vehicle worth Rs 5.92 lakh. The FDA put the total value of seized goods and vehicles at about Rs 1.9 crore.
The crackdown was carried out under the ‘Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra’ campaign to protect public health, the statement said.
The FDA urged manufacturers and sellers to obtain necessary approvals before manufacturing or selling health supplements and nutraceuticals. It also asked citizens to check product labels, ingredients, licence numbers and expiry or “use by” dates while purchasing such products.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)