The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday, 8 August suspended the licences of VKC Nuts Private Limited in Uttar Pradesh and Chheda Specialities Foods Private Limited in Maharashtra with immediate effect, after inspections uncovered serious food safety and hygiene violations at both facilities. The regulator said the action was taken in the interest of public health following the detection of critical non-compliances.

What Inspectors Found at VKC Nuts

At the VKC Nuts facility, inspectors discovered live insects in pistachios stored in the finished goods area, along with extensive mould and fungal growth in the raw material storage section. Rodent droppings were found across the premises, and signs of pest damage to stored food products were documented.

Further violations included the use of rusted and damaged machinery, poor sanitation conditions, ineffective pest-control measures, and inadequate segregation of raw materials, work-in-progress inventory, and finished goods. Some raw material cartons lacked batch numbers and manufacturing or expiry details, while expired cranberry stock was found stored in a finished goods area.

The facility's overall compliance score was recorded at just 38 per cent, indicating, according to the FSSAI, 'significant deficiencies in its food safety management system that could pose a grave risk to public health.' The regulator said the licence has been 'partially suspended with immediate effect under the FSS Act, 2006 ... until further orders.'

Violations at Chheda Specialities Foods

At the Chheda Specialities Foods facility, inspectors cited unhygienic food handling practices, including workers mixing besan dough with bare hands and handling food in proximity to decomposing waste. Fungal growth was detected around edible oil storage tanks.

The inspection also flagged inadequate waste management systems, roof leakages, stagnant water, damaged flooring, and ineffective pest-control arrangements. Raw materials and packaging materials were reportedly being stored directly on wet and dusty floors, while several food containers lacked proper labels and traceability details.

Notably, multiple food samples collected during earlier inspections at this facility had already been declared 'unsafe' or 'misbranded', with legal proceedings in those cases still ongoing. The facility recorded a compliance score of 42 per cent.

Conditions for Licence Restoration

The FSSAI said the licence of Chheda Specialities Foods will remain suspended until the company undertakes comprehensive corrective measures — covering sanitation, pest control, waste management, infrastructure maintenance, and staff training — and demonstrates full compliance with food safety regulations.

The regulator announced the suspensions via its official account on social media platform X, underscoring the public health rationale behind both actions.

FSSAI's Broader Enforcement Signal

The dual suspension is part of FSSAI's stated commitment to strict enforcement across food sectors. This comes amid growing scrutiny of food processing units in India following several high-profile contamination cases in recent years. The regulator said it will continue targeted inspections to safeguard consumer health and ensure compliance with food safety standards.