Months after a dead mouse was served to a customer by the Bandra-based restaurant ‘Papa Pancho da Dhaba,’ the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come into action and closed down 28 restaurants and cloud kitchens across Mumbai and Thane for failing to meet essential hygiene and safety standards. As the ongoing action is set to last another month, more restaurants are expected to come under scrutiny.
Following the recent crackdown on the popular eatery “Bademiya,” the FDA raided two other restaurants, Krishna Fastfood in Charkop and Paradise Home Kitchen in Bandra, and fined them for a variety of hygiene and safety violations, including unsanitary kitchens. Krishna Fastfood was fined Rs 15,000, while Paradise Home Kitchen was fined a whopping Rs 40,000.
A recent FDA inspection of three locations of the renowned restaurant “Bademiya,” including the one in Colaba in south Mumbai, revealed that none of the locations had a current food license, the official said.
Mumbai Darbar, a Mahim-based restaurant, was issued stop work notices for non-compliance with food regulations. The restaurant’s Mahim branch didn’t have a food license to operate.
An FDA release said the checks were carried out on Wednesday.
”During the check, officials found the establishment does not have a valid food license, which is required as per The Food Safety and Standards Act,” the release said.
According to the sources, the inspection at Bademiya outlets unveiled major violations, including the presence of cockroaches, rats, and maggots within the premises. Such severe violations prompted a directive to cease food business operations until valid food safety licenses are obtained and discrepancies are rectified.
The FDA has collected 10 samples of prepared food and raw materials used in the preparations and these have been sent for quality tests, it added.
”Further action will be taken based on the findings of the laboratory examination. As the eatery was operational without a proper food license and errors were found, the FDA has directed the establishment to shut operations till they get a valid food license and rectify the errors,” the FDA release informed.
The official further stated that several hotels were discovered to be lacking in cleanliness; either the condition of the kitchen was unhygienic or the trash bins were not covered. The official informed that the agency screens eateries on 80–90 critical parameters.
