FDA Crackdown: 22 Mumbai Eateries Shut Down, 170 Issued Warnings for Severe Food Safety Violations”
Mumbai, 13th December 2023: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken stringent measures against restaurants and eateries in Mumbai, citing violations of food safety regulations that pose potential health hazards to residents.
Since August, the FDA has conducted raids on 239 restaurants. Among them, 22 establishments with severe violations received work closure notices, while 170 others were issued improvement notices.
Senior officials noted that these establishments had infringed upon the Food Safety Act of 1990. During inspections, common issues such as dirty kitchens, the presence of stale food, expired items, and infestations of ants and cockroaches were observed.
Shailesh Adhao, Joint Commissioner (Food) at the FDA, emphasized the necessity of rigorous inspections, as many eateries were found to violate norms, and residents lacked proper avenues for complaints. The FDA’s actions were prompted by a complaint from a diner in Bandra who discovered a rat in his food, highlighting the severe health risks associated with such incidents.
Adhao explained, “Every year we inspect eateries, but this time, since August, we have intensified the inspections and found most of them were not following basic food safety norms. Eateries were running without a license, and staffers did not have health certificates.”
During the FDA raids, shocking revelations came to light. Kitchens were found to be unhygienic, with stale foods stored in coolers and open spaces attracting ants and cockroaches. The screening process evaluated eateries on approximately 80 to 90 critical parameters. Violations included the presence of cockroaches, rats, maggots, and stale vegetables at three outlets in Bademiya. At The Burn-Bar & Kitchen at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), it was discovered that the restaurant lacked proper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, potentially resulting in cross-contamination.
Health experts underscored that consuming unhygienic food can lead to foodborne illnesses with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, it may result in long-term health complications.
