adulterators, banned gutkha sellers and unhygienic food producers, resulting in the arrest of 33 persons and sealing of 27 establishments, an official said.
The action was taken on May 25 in FDA’s Mumbai, Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Amravati, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions under commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, he said.
“During the drive against prohibited items like gutkha and pan masala, officials inspected 53 establishments, finding 34 of them in violation.
FDA teams carried out inspections across multiple districts, focusing on the sale and distribution of banned products such as gutkha and pan masala, as well as food manufacturing, processing and packaging units.
FDA teams carried out inspections across multiple districts, focusing on the sale and distribution of banned products such as gutkha and pan masala, as well as food manufacturing, processing and packaging units.
Officials examined compliance with food safety norms, labelling requirements and licensing conditions during the operation. Several establishments were found allegedly violating provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
“As many as 33 persons were arrested, 27 establishments were sealed, and goods worth more than Rs 20.57 lakh were seized. We will register chapter cases against repeat offenders and take stringent action against those who compromise public health,” Mundhe said.
The FDA indicated that legal proceedings would be initiated against repeat violators and establishments found repeatedly flouting food safety regulations.
The FDA stated that the crackdown extended beyond banned products, as officials collected samples of packaged drinking water, milk, juices, carbonated beverages, edible oils, sweets, ice cream, toddy, spices, khoya, paneer, ghee, gram flour and bakery products for quality testing.
Food items worth about ₹28.68 lakh were seized under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and samples were drawn for laboratory analysis, it said.
Among the major cases detected during the drive, officials in Jalgaon uncovered an alleged milk adulteration racket, which involved the mixing of edible oil with cow milk, while in Pune district’s Indapur area, authorities seized mangoes worth about ₹20,000 after detecting the alleged use of chemical substances to artificially ripen them.
In Mumbai, action was taken against a noodle manufacturing unit in Dharavi for alleged violations of labelling norms and food safety regulations, with a large quantity of stock seized, and in Nashik, the FDA initiated proceedings against multiple establishments for alleged licence violations, misleading labelling practices and sale of substandard edible oils.
FDA team also seized stock worth lakhs from a Palghar-based ice cream manufacturing unit operating in unhygienic conditions in violation of food safety norms, the release said.
Mundhe said no individual or establishment found endangering public health would be granted any concession and warned that violations of food safety laws would invite not only penal action but also criminal prosecution.
He appealed to citizens to report suspected food adulteration and provide detailed information about the location, establishment and products involved, and said that the FDA is also developing a dedicated mobile application to enable people to lodge complaints more easily.
