Maharashtra FDA raids 11 Thane farsan units, seizes stock worth ₹20.48 lakh

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has seized close to 29 tonnes of food products and raw materials, valued at ₹20.48 lakh, from 11 farsan and snack-manufacturing units in Thane after inspections allegedly found them running without valid licences and preparing food in severely unhygienic conditions.

Stop-work orders have been issued and the licences or registrations of all 11 establishments suspended, the regulator said in a statement on September 10. The units are located at Bhaskar Compound in the Shil-Diwa Road area of Khardi village.

Officials carried out a surprise raid on September 9 on premises manufacturing and selling farsan, wafers, chivda, namkeen and similar products. The seized stock included potato wafers, farali chivda, spicy and black pepper wafers, mixed farsan, sev, bhakarwadi, diet chivda, schezwan sticks and banana chips, along with raw materials such as maida, besan, pea flour and palm oil. Used edible oil was also found on the premises.

According to the regulator, some units were operating without the mandatory food licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act. Inspectors allegedly found production floors coated with accumulated oil and residue, roofs and walls made of temporary shed sheets, and parts of the work area open to the outside. Inadequate wastewater drainage had led to sewage collecting outside the units, causing foul odours, while cockroaches and rodents were allegedly seen inside and around some premises. Cattle, dogs and cats moved around just outside, and the surroundings were described as extremely dirty.

Workers were allegedly handling food in dirty clothes without aprons, gloves or caps, and labels on packaged products did not meet labelling rules. In all, 28,955 kg of raw materials and finished products and 56 litres of edible oil were seized, collectively valued at ₹20,48,801.50. The stock was seized under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, on suspicion of adulteration and inferior quality, and because the food was allegedly produced in conditions that could make it unsafe for consumption.

The 11 establishments facing action are Rajesh Lalji Gupta's establishment, Rahul Foods, Krishna Banana Chips, Komal Wafers, Chaska Maska Foods, Om Sai Traders Farsan, Harish Chaska Food, Dharmraj Fruit Supply, Antima Farsan and Wafers, Nitya Farsan and Chakli, and Vimal Namkeen.

The Thane operation was part of a broader enforcement drive across Maharashtra, in which licences or registrations of 10 other establishments were suspended — six in Mumbai, one in the Konkan division, two in the Pune division and one in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division.

In Mumbai, inspections flagged a range of alleged lapses. At Shri Gajanan Vadapav Snacks Center in Kanjurmarg West, inspected on September 8, temperature monitoring was allegedly irregular despite heating, cooling and refrigeration facilities being available, pest-proofing was inadequate, and vadapav was being prepared in an open kitchen without a door. Some equipment and containers were allegedly made of materials unsuitable for food contact.

Samarth Sweets in Jogeshwari East, inspected after a complaint, was found with open drains and garbage near the entrance, no proper linear workflow separating raw materials, processing and packing, and clothes, bedding and personal belongings stored inside the production area. At Ekvira Zunka Bhakar Kendra in Mulund East, officials allegedly found a cramped workspace, poor ventilation, open garbage bins and a preparation area exposed to the outside, with no separate storage for food and non-food items.

Manisha Sweets, also in Mulund East, was running a production unit in what the regulator described as an open and unhygienic space at the rear, with oil and soot layered on the ceiling, inadequate ventilation and weak protection against pests. At Nawab Seekh Corner, inspectors allegedly found ants in stored semolina, uncovered raw meat, poor segregation of raw, cooked and ready-to-eat food, openly stored mint and other ingredients, and dirty refrigerators and storage areas, besides ineffective first-in-first-out and first-expiry-first-out systems.

Hotel Ashwin, inspected on September 9, was cited for deficiencies in food storage and refrigeration, dirty and damaged floors and walls, inadequate ventilation and insufficient pest-proofing. Jay Maharashtra Masala Dosa Corner was cited for poor cleaning and sanitisation, accumulated food waste, pest activity and inadequate pest-control records.

Elsewhere in the state, action was taken against Hotel Shahi near Karad, Saber Restaurant in Lonavala and Sairat Biryani in Pune's Koregaon Park over alleged violations of licence conditions and hygiene requirements. At Shelke Mama Dhaba Restaurant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, deficiencies flagged during an earlier inspection remained unaddressed at a re-inspection on September 8; the unit was first inspected on July 27 and issued an improvement notice on July 30, and the regulator said further action under the Act was being initiated.

The crackdown comes ahead of the festive season, for which the FDA has introduced advance-intimation requirements for large-scale food distribution events. Organisers of mahaprasad, annachhatra, langar, bhandara and similar mass distribution during festivals, religious gatherings, fairs and urs must submit the Mass Food Distribution Advance Notice Form at least seven days in advance when food is prepared or distributed through licensed or registered caterers or kitchens. Operators must ensure cleanliness, safe water, proper temperature control, separation of raw and cooked food, personal hygiene among handlers and safe storage. Based on the notices, officials will carry out risk-based inspections, collect samples and take immediate enforcement action where needed.