Mumbai, Nov 3 The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized food items worth Rs 45 lakh, suspended the licences of five establishments, registered three FIRs, and arrested two persons during a statewide crackdown ahead of Diwali.
The agency also seized two vehicles allegedly used for transporting prohibited food items and sealed two establishments during the special inspection drive conducted over the last three days.
The department said in a statement on Tuesday that the action covered hotels, restaurants, sweet shops, and food manufacturing units across the state.
According to the FDA, prohibited food items worth Rs 11.55 lakh were seized in the Konkan and Nashik divisions, leading to the arrest of two persons, registration of three FIRs, seizure of two vehicles, and the sealing of two establishments.
In a major operation in Mumbai, officials seized 4,002 kg of halwa and other sweets worth Rs 11.11 lakh from a luxury bus in Chembur on Monday.
The food items were allegedly being transported without temperature control and in unhygienic conditions, raising concerns about potential adulteration and health hazards. Six samples were collected for laboratory analysis, and further action will be taken based on the test reports, the FDA said.
Separately, food stock worth Rs 22.34 lakh — comprising sweets, farsan, edible oil, and dry fruits — was seized during inspections across six divisions: Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati, and Nagpur.
The licenses of five establishments in Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana, and Washim districts were suspended during the drive, the department added.
The inspections revealed suspected substandard and adulterated food, unhygienic preparation and storage conditions, violations of sanitary norms, and deficiencies in labelling, it stated.
(PTI News)
