Mumbai, Nov 7 (IANS) The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, has suspended 43 food business licences and seized 17,824 kg of food articles worth Rs 63.09 lakh during a special enforcement drive ahead of Diwali, according to a statement on Saturday.

The inspections were conducted on November 6 and 7 across 73 establishments in the state’s seven divisions -- Greater Mumbai, Konkan, Nashik, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur and Amravati.

The drive covered businesses dealing in sweets, khoya, paneer, farsan, Diwali snacks, dry fruits and edible oil, as well as hotels, clubs, canteens, grocery stores, e-commerce platforms and catering establishments.

Food articles were seized from 29 establishments. Perishable items deemed hazardous to public health were destroyed on the spot in the presence of witnesses, the FDA said..

Nagpur recorded the highest number of licence suspensions at 18, followed by Nashik with nine.

Meanwhile, Greater Mumbai reported five suspensions, while Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Amravati recorded three each.

Konkan accounted for two suspensions.

The inspections revealed several violations of food safety norms, including unhygienic manufacturing and storage conditions, lack of wire mesh on windows, inadequate pest control and failure to maintain food safety management system records.

Some establishments also failed to produce water analysis reports, medical certificates of food handlers and purchase bills, the statement said.

Among those facing action was Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd which operates quick-commerce platform Blinkit, in Wardha.

The FDA also suspended the licence of Mumbai’s Orient Club and took action against several sweet shops and food establishments in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Pune and Nagpur.

In addition, officials seized 3,935 kg of khoya and sweets from two vehicles transporting food articles on highways.

In a separate action, the department recovered penalties totalling Rs 70,000 in five cases registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act in Borivali and Bhandup in Mumbai.

The FDA also collected 10 food samples for laboratory analysis during the inspections.

--IANS

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