The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra has launched a sweeping pre-festive crackdown, seizing adulterated and substandard food products worth ₹12.74 crore and cancelling or suspending 68 licences and registrations across the state. The enforcement drive, timed ahead of the festive season spanning Navratri to Diwali, also resulted in approximately two dozen FIRs and the arrest of 20 individuals in connection with banned gutkha, pan masala, and flavoured tobacco.

Scale and Scope of the Drive

The special inspection campaign was conducted across seven administrative divisions — Mumbai, Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, and Amravati — under the direct guidance of FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. Enforcement teams carried out simultaneous raids at food outlets, cold storage facilities, warehouses, and transit vehicles to ensure compliance with food safety regulations during a period of sharply elevated consumer demand.

Seven establishments were issued closure orders, and four outlets were collectively penalised ₹1.30 lakh for violations. Inspectors documented serious hygiene lapses including infested kitchens with cockroaches and rats, improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, clogged drains, use of unauthorised food colouring, and the absence of valid medical certificates for food-handling staff.

Expired Food Recycled Back Into the Market

One of the most alarming findings emerged from investigations in Thane and Pune districts, where the FDA uncovered a racket in which expired and spoiled food — ostensibly earmarked for destruction — was being reintroduced into the supply chain. A total of 8,392 kg of stock valued at ₹48.09 lakh was seized in this connection.

'The investigation uncovered a supply chain involving company warehouses, disposal contractors, unauthorised disposal centres, intermediaries, and retailers. The companies failed to provide complete and verifiable records of the destruction process. Five licences have been suspended, and criminal complaints have been filed,' the FDA said in a statement.

Key District-Level Seizures

The single largest haul was recorded in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, where 197,480 kg of stock — including chili powder, raisins, jaggery, and pasteurised butter — valued at ₹4.19 crore was seized from two cold storage facilities in a single day. Both facilities had their licences suspended immediately.

In Palghar-Manor, goods worth ₹1.51 crore were seized from a truck, leading to the arrest of eight individuals. In Jalna, stock valued at ₹83.35 lakh was confiscated. In Mumbai, four separate cases involving goods worth ₹24.61 lakh were registered by enforcement teams.

What Authorities Said

'Following these findings, 68 licences have been suspended while seven establishments have been ordered to shut down, and four outlets were imposed a penalty of ₹1.30 lakh,' the FDA stated. The department said the drive was specifically designed to ensure the availability of safe food during the festive period, when consumption of sweets, snacks, and packaged goods rises sharply across Maharashtra.

What Comes Next

The FDA has indicated the enforcement drive will continue through the festive season. Consumers have been urged to purchase food products only from licensed establishments and to check for proper labelling and expiry dates. With criminal complaints already filed and arrests made, the cases involving recycled expired food and banned tobacco products are expected to move through the courts in the weeks ahead.