Maharashtra FDA suspends Gallops Restaurant licence; four other Mumbai establishments face action

Blood and ketchup stains at Gallops Restaurant in Mumbai (Pic/Special arrangement)

Tukaram Mundhe-led Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of Gallops Restaurant, situated inside Royal Western India Turf Club at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The suspension of Gallops comes as FDA continues its crackdown on food establishments during the festive season.

The FDA statement said that Gallops Restaurant's food licence was suspended with immediate effect after an FDA inspection found multiple food safety and hygiene violations, including live cockroaches and ants, blood and ketchup stains on refrigerator ice, damaged food packaging and water stagnation.

It said that lack of records of annual medical examination/vaccination of food handlers was among the numerous continuing violations found under ‘Schedule 4' at Mahalaxmi-based Gallops Restaurant.

Four other Mumbai establishments face action by FDA

The Maharashtra FDA has also suspended the licence of four other Mumbai-based establishments. These include:

• Gurukrupa Dairy Products in Malad East: FDA officials seized approximately 2,464.05 kg of adulterated and mislabelled ghee, refined sunflower oil and vanaspati, along with machinery. The total value of the seized stock and equipment from Gurukrupa Dairy was approximately Rs 15.16 lakh.
• Gufran Seekh Corner in Versova: Officials found that the establishment was operating without a valid food licence or registration. As per the officials, "numerous provisions under ‘Schedule 4' were violated, including testing of potable water, proper storage and segregation of food items."
• Dreamer Hospitality Pvt Ltd in Bandra West: FDA said that inspections at the Bandra-based food establishments found violations of hygiene and health-related provisions under Schedule 4, with further legal action being initiated.
• Mirari in Bandra West: As per the Maharashtra food regulator, the restaurant was found violating provisions under ‘Schedule 4'.

Oil and Ghee worth Rs 15.15 lakh seized in Malad

In Malad East, the Maharashtra FDA seized approximately 4,646 kg of adulterated and mislabelled ghee, refined sunflower oil and vanaspati worth Rs 15.15 lakh from M/s Gurukrupa Dairy Products on Pandit Solitary Lane.

According to the FDA, the products were being sold under the misleading label "Pooja Ghee". The action was part of the department's ongoing festive-season crackdown on suspected adulteration, misbranding and substandard food products.

FDA seize over 10,800 kg/litres of illegal food stock

Amid the festive crackdown, the statewide operation by the FDA resulted in the seizure of approximately 10,836.65 kg/litres of food stock valued at over Rs 30.81 lakh.

As per the official statement from FDA, the seized material included khawa, mawa, peda, ghee, oil, barfi, tea powder, sweets and other dairy products.

In the Pune division, action was taken against establishments in Sangli, Pune and Kolhapur, with stocks including jaggery, peda, besan laddu, khoya, modak, ghee, skimmed-milk powder and paneer seized on suspicion of being substandard.

FDA action on sweet shops in Pune

• Swanand Sweets and Dairy in Laxmi Nagar: Officials seized 145 kg of loose khoya worth Rs 58,000, 14 kg of cow ghee worth Rs 11,018, 165 kg of desi ghee worth Rs 1.37 lakh and 524 kg of Kanhaiya-brand skimmed-milk powder worth Rs 1.89 lakh.
• Plaza Sweets in Jagtap Nagar, Wanowrie: FDA officials seized 11 kg of peda worth Rs 7,040 and 8 kg of besan laddu worth Rs 2,560.
• Suraj Sweets on Shivarkar Road, Wanowrie: Officials seized 39 kg of khoya worth Rs 21,840 and 24 kg of modak worth Rs 15,360, both suspected to be substandard.
• Shiv Dairy on B.T. Kawade Road: As per the official note, FDA seized 7.25 kg of ghee worth Rs 5,800 over suspected substandard quality.

Overall, the four Pune establishments accounted for approximately 934 kg of seized food products worth Rs 4.97 lakh, according to the FDA's detailed report.

Tea powder worth Rs 6.75 lakh seized by FDA in Nagpur

The Nagpur division also saw action against several establishments by the Maharashtra FDA. At a godown belonging to Ashok Agro Products in Chandrapur, FDA officials seized 3,310 kg of tea powder worth Rs 6.75 lakh on suspicion that it was unsafe or substandard.

The FDA said the intensive drive was being conducted during the festive season to ensure that safe and quality food products are available to consumers and to take action against suspected adulteration, mislabelling and unsafe food practices.