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Maharashtra FDA seizes Rs. 3.11 cr food stocks
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Monday, 26 October, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
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The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized food products worth approximately Rs. 3.11 crore during a statewide enforcement drive targeting suspected adulteration, substandard quality, misleading labelling, unhygienic storage and the sale of prohibited food products.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 32,061 litres of edible oil and 37,128 kg of other food stock across multiple divisions, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Konkan, Pune, Nashik and Mumbai. The FDA has also initiated action against establishments violating food safety regulations and suspended the licences of four food businesses in Mumbai.
The enforcement drive, conducted through inspections and seizures at food manufacturing, storage, distribution and retail establishments, aims to prevent unsafe and adulterated food from reaching consumers, verify compliance with prescribed food safety standards and deter the sale of prohibited products. The action covers edible oils, dairy products, sweets, savoury snacks, paneer, tea, bakery products and barnyard millet, besides banned pan masala and scented tobacco.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department was taking enforcement action to protect public health and ensure that food businesses complied with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and applicable regulations. He urged consumers to report suspected adulteration, unsafe food and other malpractice through the department's toll-free helpline, 1800222365, or the Food and Drug Grievance Portal at https://complaints.mahafda.in.
In the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, inspections conducted between October 16 and 21 led to the seizure of substantial quantities of edible oil, sev-farsan mixture, khoa, pedha, kalakand, ghee and bakery products. The total seizure reported for the division was approximately 33,940 kg of food stock valued at Rs. 87.52 lakh.
In Parbhani district, the FDA seized 3,570 kg of refined soybean, sunflower and palm oils valued at Rs. 5.76 lakh from Mayur Agencies in Jintur. Another 3,783 kg of refined soybean oil worth Rs. 8.02 lakh was seized from Atharv Agencies, while 1,963 kg of refined soybean oil valued at Rs. 4.78 lakh was seized from Varad Oil Industries. The department also seized 22,550 kg of sev-farsan mixture worth Rs. 63.14 lakh from Moti Namkeen Pvt. Ltd. in Parbhani. The combined seizure from these establishments was reported at 31,866 kg, valued at Rs. 81.71 lakh.
In Dharashiv district, 249 kg of khoa worth Rs. 57,270 was seized from Shivshankar Khoa Pedha Udyog and Vikri in Bhum on October 16 on suspicion of adulteration. During subsequent action in Tuljapur, the FDA seized 100 kg of khoa worth Rs. 25,000 from Jagdamb Khoa Bhatti and 37 kg worth Rs. 8,510 from Kulswamini Khoa Bhatti. An additional 168 kg of khoa and different varieties of pedha, valued at Rs. 58,900, was also seized during the same enforcement operation.
The department continued its inspections of sweet shops and food businesses selling dairy products. In Tuljapur, 48 kg of kalakand worth Rs. 7,200 was seized from Mhaswad Sweets and 80 kg worth Rs. 16,000 from Mahalaxmi Sweets. Separately, 36 kg of kalakand valued at Rs. 5,400 was seized from Nilesh Pedhewale in Kudaleshwar, Sindhudurg, according to the department's statement. On October 19, inspections in Vaijapur and Sillod resulted in the recording of 343 kg of cow ghee worth Rs. 2.72 lakh at Siddhivinayak Traders and 1,013 kg of bakery products, including toast and pista roast, worth Rs. 1.29 lakh at New Bharat Bakery. The combined stock weighed 1,356 kg and was valued at Rs. 4.02 lakh.
In the Nagpur division, the FDA seized 1,078.40 litres of refined soybean oil worth Rs. 1.81 lakh from Chandrabhaga Traders in Nagpur on October 17. The oil was reportedly stored under unhygienic conditions and suspected of being substandard or unsafe. On October 18, inspectors seized 49 kg of khoa worth Rs. 19,600 from Jayant Sweet Mart in Warora, Chandrapur district, on similar quality and safety concerns. The combined value of the seizures was Rs. 2 lakh.
A major enforcement action in the Konkan division targeted Viraj Enterprises at Ovali village in Bhiwandi, Thane district. On October 16 and 17, the FDA seized 11,779 litres of edible oil and 2,850 kg of tea, with a combined value of Rs. 1.27 crore. The action followed laboratory analysis of a sample of Jivo-branded Pomace Olive Oil sold in a one-litre pack. According to the FDA, the laboratory report found that the product was entirely groundnut oil rather than olive oil, raising concerns about misrepresentation and consumer deception. Further legal proceedings are being initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the relevant rules and regulations.
In Pune, the FDA seized 9,000 kg of paneer and 440 kg of khoa during inspections in Bavdhan, Kasba Peth and Bibwewadi on October 19. The products were reportedly being transported or stored at uncontrolled temperatures and sold in the open, raising concerns about their safety for consumption. At 3D Masale & Dryfruits in Market Yard, inspectors seized 77.75 kg of food products, including tea and flavoured drink concentrate, suspected of being substandard, unsafe or incorrectly labelled. Hygiene violations were also observed. In a separate action, 9,888 litres of different varieties of edible oil were seized from Suryam Enterprises on Paud Road at Chandni Chowk.
In the Nashik division, the FDA seized 87 kg of Sunrise-brand bhagar, or barnyard millet, valued at Rs. 6,960 from Chaitanya Kirana Hardware in Pedgaon, Shrigonda taluka, Ahilyanagar district, on October 19. The stock was suspected of being substandard and adulterated, and further action is being taken under the applicable food safety legislation.
In Mumbai, inspections in Kandivali East and West on October 15 resulted in the seizure of food products worth Rs. 25,195. The FDA seized spicy potato wafers, banana wafers, garlic sev, peanut bhujia and schezwan sticks worth Rs. 22,045 from Shree Sadguru Foods in Kandivali East over suspicions regarding the use of colouring agents. At Shree Ganesh Farsan and Sweet Mart in Kandivali West, jalebi and Maharaja halwa valued at Rs. 3,150 were seized and destroyed on the spot after colouring-related violations were detected.
The statewide drive also included action against the manufacture, storage, transportation and sale of prohibited pan masala and scented tobacco. In Jalna district, the FDA acted on confidential information received from its Mumbai Vigilance Department and intercepted a suspicious Eicher vehicle near Chitali Putali Phata with police assistance. The vehicle was found carrying prohibited pan masala and scented tobacco valued at Rs. 53.25 lakh. The total seizure, including the vehicle, a mobile phone and a GPS device, was reported at approximately Rs. 83.35 lakh.
In another case in Mumbai, prohibited stock worth Rs. 7.06 lakh and a Tata Intra V10 tempo valued at Rs. 3 lakh were seized. An informal sample was collected for analysis, and a case was registered against Uday Sundar Yadav at MIDC Police Station under Crime Registration No. 1154/2026. The case invokes Sections 123, 223, 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 26(2), 30(2)(a) and 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act. The combined value of the prohibited products and vehicles seized in the Jalna and Mumbai actions was reported at Rs. 93.42 lakh.
The FDA has also suspended the licences of four food establishments in Mumbai following inspections that identified violations of Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. The reported deficiencies included unclean kitchens and drainage systems, rusted racks and utensils, mixing returned pav with fresh stock, incomplete temperature records, missing medical certificates for workers and the use of unauthorised food colours in sweets. The establishments named in the department's statement were Arabian Shawarma Cafe and Fast Food in Borivali, Nath Fast Food, NAIR ON FIRE Cloud Kitchen in Mahim and Bikaner Sweets and Namkin, which was also issued a notice to close business because of unhygienic conditions.
The department said the inspections and seizures form part of its efforts to enforce food safety requirements across the supply chain, from manufacturing and storage to transportation and retail sale.
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