Maharashtra Food Safety Drive: Stock Seized, Licences Suspended

A special statewide food safety drive in Maharashtra has resulted in the seizure of about 35.547 tonnes of food stock, valued at around Rs 79.97 lakh. The Food and Drug Administration carried out the inspections to curb the sale of potentially unsafe food and to enforce compliance with food safety laws.

Most of the seized stock was recovered in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, where 32.639 tonnes of food products were taken into custody from five locations. Their combined value exceeds Rs 65.80 lakh.

Separately, the Nashik division seized 2,908 kilograms of spices and ajwain from two locations. The estimated value of these goods is Rs 14.16 lakh.

In Mumbai, two food establishments had their licences suspended after inspections revealed unhygienic conditions and violations of existing regulations. Officials maintain that the move underscores the department's determination to hold food business operators responsible for good sanitation and adherence to mandatory food safety norms.

The statewide campaign is a component of the FDA's wider strategy to reinforce food safety enforcement and stop the distribution of substandard or potentially unsafe products. Officials said that by inspecting numerous locations and penalising rule-breaking establishments, the department intends to protect consumers from health risks arising from unsafe food handling, storage and distribution.

The scale of the seizures and their value point to the broad reach of the operation. Authorities have made it clear that manufacturers, traders and food business operators who breach food safety standards will face regulatory action.