Mumbai’s Cafe Mondegar License Suspended: Improper Defrosting of Food, Refrigeration Failures – What Else Has Maharashtra FDA Flagged? | Today’s news

Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has stepped up enforcement under the leadership of IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, on Tuesday (September 15) ordered the suspension of the licenses of popular Mumbai restaurant Cafe Mondegar and three other food establishments following inspections that revealed major food safety and hygiene lapses.

During an inspection of the Cafe Mondegar outlet at Metro House in Colaba on September 12 (Saturday), officials found several violations, the regulator said in a report. These included not keeping hot food at the required temperature of at least 60 degrees Celsius and keeping cold storage below 5 degrees Celsius, PTI reported.

The inspection also revealed improper defrosting procedures, insufficient rapid cooling of cooked meals, and deficiencies in the restaurant’s sanitation and structure. According to the FDA, these outages created conditions that could increase the risk of cross-contamination.

“Moisture damaged the floor, while an inadequate drainage system near the food preparation area posed a potential risk of cross-contamination,” the FDA said.

3 more lose licenses during food safety festival

The state food regulator also took action against three other Mumbai establishments – Maharashtra Biryani Center in Kandivali East, Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West and Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East – by suspending their licences. Inspections at these establishments revealed violations of the sanitary and hygienic requirements set out in Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Annex 4 sets out the mandatory sanitary and hygienic standards that food business operators must comply with.

The FDA, which under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has stepped up its efforts to enforce food safety, adulteration and sanitation violations, said nine more businesses in Mumbai are facing legal action over deficiencies found during inspections conducted as part of its festival season.

Businesses named by the regulator include Ruhafza Bakery in Khar West; Chandru’s Pure Ghee Sweets and Sharma Dairy & Fast Food in Andheri West; Punjabi Chandu Halwai LLP in Grant Road East; Shri Narayan Dairy in Vile Parle West; and Gulshan Dairy Farm in Khar West.

In a special drive held from September 11 to 14, FDA officials inspected 38 food establishments across Mumbai and collected 47 samples for testing. The samples included milk, khoya, ghee and sweets, which were sent for analysis.

Maharashtra FDA action on suspected substandard food

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra FDA collected a barfi sample from Ayush Milk Supplier in Andheri East and seized the remaining 23 kg stock worth ₹6,440. Officials also sampled khoya from Brijwasi Mithaiyan Shop in Mulund West and seized another 225 kg of stock worth ₹60,300.

The regulator has independently conducted inspections at milk and milk products manufacturing facilities across Maharashtra. At Shivaratna Milk & Milk Agro Product in Takawada, Kolhapur, officials seized 10 kg of halwa worth ₹6,000 and 198 kg rabadi in value ₹45,540 after suspecting that both the products are substandard. At Creamy Delight in Patas, Pune, officials found 1,519 kg of cow’s milk, butter and skimmed milk powder. ₹8.50 lakh, citing labeling violations and suspected quality issues.

At Mahaveer Dairy in Manchar, Pune, the FDA found 49 kg of khoya ₹13,720,104 kg of paneer worth ₹31,200 and 11 kg of ghee worth ₹7,920, all suspected of falling short of the required standards. The ministry said that further legal proceedings would be initiated in these cases.

In Jalgaon district, officials seized around 2,155 kg of suspected adulterated sweet halwa worth ₹5.58 lakh from two transport vehicles. The FDA also seized 28 kg of suspected substandard khoya ₹12,600 from Brijvilas Dairy in Jalgaon, 16.2 kg of suspected substandard ped and buffalo ghee worth ₹15,200 from Ekta Dudh Dairy and Sweets in Raver and 6.5 kg peda worth ₹2,600 from Tarachand Sundarji and Sons in Chalisgaon.

The FDA further found 19 kg of shrikhanda in the price ₹5,320 which, according to the statement of the regulator, are stored in unhygienic conditions in the premises belonging to Samadhan Pawar.

(With input from agencies)