India food safety authorities launch widespread hygiene and inspection crackdown

Food safety authorities across India are conducting widespread enforcement drives, uncovering significant hygiene and safety violations in various sectors.

In Maharashtra, the FDA suspended the licenses of four establishments, including the prominent Mumbai eatery Ayub’s, following inspections that revealed improper food storage, pest activity, and unhygienic conditions. In Nagpur, a Saoji eatery also faced license suspension due to cleanliness violations. Additionally, a major milk adulteration racket was busted in Navi Mumbai, resulting in the seizure and destruction of over 4,700 litres of suspect dairy products.

In Delhi, FSSAI inspections at major hotels in Aerocity, including Andaz Delhi and JW Marriott, identified numerous lapses such as expired sweets, cockroach infestations, and poor segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Similarly, in Bengaluru, inspections at ten upscale clubs revealed expired meat, cockroach activity, and inadequate kitchen hygiene. The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration has issued a 15-day directive for all food businesses in the state to rectify hygiene deficiencies.

In Hyderabad, TG SAFE teams inspected 32 sweet shops, seizing 15 tonnes of food articles due to hygiene and labeling violations. Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Railway Division imposed a penalty on a food service provider after discovering over 1,300 expired food packets intended for passengers on the Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani.

In response to these enforcement actions, the Maharashtra government has stated it will adopt a balanced approach to prevent food adulteration while protecting the livelihoods of traditional traders and low-income consumers.