FSSAI clamps down on Switz Foods, halts operations for non‑compliance
New Delhi, August 1 – The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken decisive action against Switz Foods Private Limited by suspending its food business licence with immediate effect. The suspension follows an inspection that documented numerous and serious violations of food‑safety regulations.
The inspection team found that food manufacturing, packaging and storage were being conducted in grossly unsanitary conditions, creating a high risk of product contamination. Key problem areas included the crate‑washing section, the non‑vegetarian receiving zone and the vicinity of the carrot‑cutting machine, all of which were reported as excessively dirty.
Critical equipment – from processing machines to trolleys, trays, moulds and HDPE crates – were not being cleaned or serviced on a regular basis. A leaking air‑conditioning pipe was dripping onto the storage floor, and the crate‑washing machine was discovered in a deteriorated state.
Additional infractions involved rust and corrosion on food‑processing equipment, ventilation systems and cookware that comes into direct contact with consumables. Exhaust fans lacked insect‑proof screens, and the premises were plagued by flies, mosquitoes, fruit flies and spider webs.
Structural issues such as wall seepage, peeling paint, broken floor tiles and thick layers of oil and grease were also noted.
The company failed to keep semi‑finished and ready‑to‑eat items separate, and mixed vegetarian and non‑vegetarian products, contravening segregation requirements. Many raw and intermediate products lacked clear "use‑by" or "best‑before" dates. Finished goods were placed on dirty trays without protective liners, and scrap material was found in the cold‑storage area.
A serious breach was identified where cut chicken was being thawed at room temperature, violating temperature‑control standards, and the overall temperature monitoring system was deemed insufficient. Inspectors also discovered a ready‑to‑eat chicken sandwich without the mandatory label.
Given these violations, FSSAI ordered Switz Foods to cease all food‑related commercial activities until it fully complies with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and remedies every deficiency.
This decision is part of a wider enforcement drive announced on July 30, where FSSAI imposed strict penalties on several food‑business operators for misleading claims, false labeling and major hygiene lapses. Measures ranged from licence suspensions to bans on sales and mandatory production stoppages. The same round of action also saw the authority bar M/s Watave Healthcare from manufacturing, storing, distributing and selling its folic‑acid syrup, which was being marketed with unverified claims of boosting brain function.
FSSAI reiterated its resolve to protect consumer health by strictly enforcing food‑safety regulations and warned that any future breach of the Food Safety and Standards Act will attract severe legal and punitive repercussions.