FDA Suspends Licences Of 5 Mumbai Cricket Association Restaurants

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of five restaurants at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) after inspections found deficiencies involving food handling, storage, refrigeration and sanitation, officials said.

The action against the five MCA outlets was part of a wider statewide food safety drive in which the FDA suspended the licences of 11 food establishment, issued improvement notices to 33 others and conducted 25 raids.

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The five restaurants at the MCA facing action are the Permit Room, Pavilion, Mediterranean, Oriental Swing, and Clubway & Pastry Counter. FDA officials inspected the outlets on August 20 and reported several food safety and hygiene violations.

FDA finds food storage and refrigeration lapses at MCA restaurants

At the Permit Room, inspectors found ice accumulation inside a kitchen refrigerator, an unclean and slippery floor near the kitchen entrance, inadequate temperature control and deteriorated raw materials. Officials also flagged shortcomings in food storage and handling.

The outlet did not have food-grade conformity certificates for materials used to package food and was not conducting regular checks of cooking oil, according to the FDA.

At the Pavilion, inspectors found ice accumulation and unclean refrigerator components, along with poor segregation of food items in cold storage. The outlet also had inadequate refrigeration calibration and deficiencies in the thawing, cooling and storage of food.

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The Mediterranean restaurant was found to have inadequate sanitisation of food equipment, improper cooling and poor portioning practices. Inspectors also identified deficiencies in the thawing of frozen food, temperature control, and the handling of raw materials and packaging.

Oriental Swing, Clubway & Pastry Counter also face action

At Oriental Swing, the FDA found an improperly calibrated refrigeration system, an unclean kitchen floor and damaged plaster or paint on part of the kitchen ceiling.

The inspection also identified inadequate sanitisation, temperature-control problems and shortcomings in checks on cooking oil quality.

At Clubway & Pastry Counter, inspectors found inadequate working space and improper storage of raw food. A food handler did not have gloves, while measures to prevent dust, dirt and insects from entering food preparation areas were also found to be inadequate.

The FDA further said the food business was operating under the name of an establishment without a valid food licence. The outlet's registration certificate was subsequently suspended.

FDA expands Maharashtra food safety crackdown

FDA's Maharashtra-wide operation also targeted Lenexis Foodworks in Mahim, Café Cadell in Shivaji Park, China Town Fast Food Centre in Mulund, Morya Misal in Warje and Saoji Upahar Gruh in Nagpur.

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China Town Fast Food Centre had its registration suspended with immediate effect after inspectors found excessive use of artificial colour and monosodium glutamate, repeated use of highly oxidised cooking oil and a cockroach infestation.

FDA action follows suspensions at Mumbai food establishments

The latest action follows a separate FDA crackdown on August 2, when the department suspended the food business licences of the Bombay Presidency Radio Club and a McDonald's outlet in south Mumbai, along with 11 other food establishments across Maharashtra, for alleged violations of food safety and hygiene norms.

The FDA has attracted increased attention since IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe took charge as its commissioner in May and began a wider enforcement drive against food establishments accused of violating food safety laws and regulations.

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In another special drive, the department inspected 89 hotels, restaurants and dhabas across Maharashtra, issuing improvement notices to 71 establishments and suspending the licences of 13 food businesses, according to an official release.

The FDA also suspended the registration certificate of Khar Gymkhana in Khar West after inspectors allegedly found serious hygiene and food safety violations. The inspection cited inadequate storage, poor cleanliness in food preparation areas, insufficient separation of raw and prepared food, a lack of hot water for washing utensils and improper thawing of frozen food.

Other Mumbai establishments to face licence suspensions included Bajrang Sweet Mart in Santacruz West and ASM Hotels and Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd in Andheri West.

(With PTI inputs)

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