The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licence of Cafe Mondegar, one of Mumbai’s most well-known restaurants, after an inspection found serious food safety and hygiene violations.
FDA officials inspected the Colaba establishment on September 12 and found multiple failures, including hot food not being maintained above the prescribed 60 degrees Celsius and cold storage not kept below 5 degrees Celsius. Inspectors also found improper thawing of food, inadequate rapid cooling of cooked items, and structural deficiencies that posed a risk of cross-contamination.
Three other food establishments in Mumbai also had their licences suspended: Maharashtra Biryani Centre in Kandivali East, Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West, and Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East. All were found in violation of Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which prescribes mandatory hygiene and sanitation rules for food businesses.
The crackdown comes under new FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who has intensified enforcement against safety violations, adulteration and poor hygiene across the state. As part of a festival season drive between September 11 and 14, the FDA inspected 38 food establishments in Mumbai and collected 47 food samples, including milk, khoya, ghee and sweets.
The regulator’s statewide action resulted in the seizure of 30 litres of liquid milk and over 4,138 kg of milk products and sweets, with seized stock valued at over Rs 15.58 lakh. In Jalgaon district, officials seized around 2,155 kg of suspected adulterated sweet halwa worth Rs 5.58 lakh from two transport vehicles.
The FDA also targeted banned products. A joint FDA-police operation in Rajur, Jalna district, seized gutkha and other prohibited food products worth Rs 95.30 lakh, along with transport vehicles valued at Rs 40 lakh. In Mumbai, a separate drive on September 12 led to the seizure of banned food stock worth over Rs 20 lakh, the arrest of nine people, and the registration of an FIR.
Cases have been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Food Safety and Standards Act, and MCOCA.
(Source: Business Standard / PTI)
