THANE: The food and drug administration (FDA), Maharashtra, conducted a raid on 11 food manufacturing units in Thane’s Shil-Diva area and seized raw materials, finished food products and edible oil worth Rs 20.48 lakh.The FDA Thane team raided the units located at Khardi Village in Bhaskar Compound on Wednesday, news agency ANI reported.“The Government of Maharashtra maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding food quality and enforcement of food safety laws. Compromising public health or consumer safety will not be tolerated under any circumstances,”said Tukaram Munde, commissioner, FDA, Maharashtra.He added, “Strict legal action will continue against anyone selling or storing expired or adulterated food items.”During the action, the department seized over 28,955 kg of solid food materials and raw ingredients along with 56 litres of oil valued at Rs 20,48,801.50.The seized items included potato wafers, farali chivda, mixed farsan, bhakarwadi, schezwan sticks, banana chips, refined flour, gram flour and palm oil, ANI reported.The department also said organisers of mass food distribution events during festivals will have to submit a prior notification form on the Food & Drug Grievance Portal at least seven days before the event.The FDA further stated that licences and registrations of prominent eateries in Mumbai (6), Konkan (1), Pune (3) and Sambhajinagar (1) have been suspended due to major safety violations.Further action will continue against those violating food safety laws, the administration said.Earlier on Wednesday, under the state campaign ‘Safe Food, Safe Medicine, Safe Maharashtra’, the FDA Maharashtra had taken strict enforcement action, suspending licences of prominent eateries, dark stores and dairy suppliers over critical hygiene and food safety violations.According to a press release, the FDA Maharashtra inspected five base kitchens and food plazas supplying railway passengers under railway catering services.The action then followed by suspension of the food licence of a Mumbai hotel over severe cockroach infestation, unhygienic transportation and injured food handlers. It also issued improvement notices to four other suppliers.The FDA Maharashtra also suspended licences of e-commerce platforms after finding severe live cockroach infestations, critical cold-chain breaches, including dairy being stored above safe temperatures, sale of expired goods and unhygienic drainage.(With agency inputs)
