FDA Suspends Café Mondegar’s License for Food Safety Violations; a wider crackdown hit restaurants in Mumbai

Cafe Mondegar in Mumbai. File | Photo credit: Vivek Bendre

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the food license of Café Mondegar in Colaba after an inspection on September 12 found numerous food safety and hygiene violations as part of a wider crackdown on restaurants, dairies and vendors of banned food products in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

The FDA inspected Café Mondegar in Metro House, Colaba, on September 12 and found that hot food was not kept above the prescribed 60°C, while cold storage was not kept below 5°C. Inspectors also drew attention to improper defrosting of food and insufficient cooling of cooked food.

The agency also cited damaged flooring caused by moisture, inadequate drainage near the food preparation area that posed a risk of cross-contamination, and improper cleaning and sanitizing of equipment.

Café Mondegar was among four establishments in Mumbai to have their licenses suspended. Maharashtra Biryani Center in Kandivali East was inspected on 9/11 while Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West and Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East were also inspected on 9/11. The FDA said violations of Schedule 4 food safety requirements were found at these facilities.

The event was part of a larger festival drive in Greater Mumbai that took place between September 11 and 14. The FDA said 38 food establishments were inspected and 47 samples, including milk, khoya, ghee and sweets, were taken for analysis.

At Ayush Milk Supplier in Andheri East, the FDA seized 23 kg of sweet burfi worth ₹ 6,440 after taking samples for testing. At Brijwasi Mithaiyan in Mulund West, 225 kg of khoya worth ₹ 60,300 was seized for analysis.

The FDA said nine licenses were suspended as part of a wider inspection in Mumbai, while Krishna Sweets and Snacks in Kanjurmarg East was fined ₹20,000 after deficiencies were found during an inspection.

Separately, on September 12, in a crackdown on banned food products in Mumbai on September 12, the FDA cracked down on five businesses. It said prohibited stock worth ₹20.21 lakh was seized, one FIR was registered and nine people were arrested. Five vehicles allegedly used to transport banned products with an aggregate value of ₹98 crore were also seized.

The enforcement unit has expanded to other parts of Maharashtra. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, the FDA seized banned food products worth ₹2.74 lakh along with a vehicle worth ₹3 lakh on 15 September. An FIR was registered and two people were arrested. Prohibited stock worth ₹23,200 was seized in Amravati division, with one FIR registered and one person arrested.

In Pune district, Deccan Cold Storages India Pvt Ltd in Bhor was inspected on September 15 when the FDA found 4,891.9 kg of pasteurized cooking butter worth ₹ 4.15 lakh and flagged alleged packaging and labeling violations.

In Palghar, 878 liters of colostrum worth ₹1.05 lakh was seized from a vehicle at Charoti toll plaza on September 16 after the FDA said the stock was transported without labels, proper temperature and hygienic storage conditions.

The FDA said its nationwide crackdown also targeted suspected adulteration, unsanitary storage, mislabeling and banned products ahead of the festival season.

Published – 18 Sep 2026 08:16 IST