MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of M/s Parle Agro after inspectors found expired stocks of Frooti, Appy and Apple Fizz at the company’s godown in Chembur.
The FDA seized expired products valued at approximately ₹99,970 from the Velocity Express Warehouse near Chembur Naka, as part of an intensified statewide food-safety enforcement campaign.
The action is part of a wider inspection drive being conducted by the Maharashtra FDA against food businesses, including hotels, restaurants, roadside eateries, bakeries, online food businesses and food-delivery and quick-commerce facilities.
The statewide campaign has been conducted under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who took charge of the Maharashtra FDA in May 2025.
109 establishments inspected, licences suspended
According to the FDA, as of August 13, officials had inspected 109 hotels, restaurants and dhabas across the state. The inspections resulted in 49 improvement notices and the suspension of four food-business licences.
In another recent inspection, officials found serious hygiene deficiencies at Bollywood Cafe in Film City, Goregaon East. The reported violations included dirty cooking utensils, significant fly infestation, wastewater and accumulated food residues in the kitchen.
Quick-commerce warehouses under the scanner
The FDA has also intensified inspections of quick-commerce and food-delivery facilities in Mumbai.
During inspections, officials reported finding a range of food-safety and hygiene violations, including cockroach infestations, rodent droppings, expired meat, rotten vegetables, inadequate pest control and food stored directly on dirty floors.
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The agency inspected 86 outlets during one phase of the drive. Several establishments were issued improvement notices, while licences of multiple food businesses were suspended and one outlet was directed to stop operations immediately.
At an Instamart facility in Bandra, FDA officials reportedly found cockroaches in storage areas and rodent and pest droppings near food packets. Inspectors also observed dust, cobwebs and food waste, along with inadequate pest-proofing, ant infestation, rusted racks and damaged flooring.
Another Instamart facility in Andheri West, near Azad Nagar Metro station, was found storing curry-cut chicken that had expired on August 12, according to the FDA findings.
Food safety focus shifts from restaurants to supply chains
The latest enforcement actions highlight an important food-safety concern beyond restaurants and traditional food outlets: storage and distribution conditions within modern food-supply chains.
For packaged food and beverages, maintaining an effective FIFO/FEFO system, traceability, stock rotation, pest control, warehouse sanitation and temperature control where applicable is essential. Expired products reaching storage facilities or remaining available for sale represent a breakdown in basic food-safety and inventory-control systems.
The FDA’s actions indicate that enforcement is increasingly examining the entire food chain — from manufacturing and warehousing to retail and last-mile delivery.
FDA also issues notices to celebrity endorsers
Separately, the Maharashtra FDA has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their participation in advertisements for Vimal Elaichi.
The agency has questioned whether the campaign could amount to surrogate or indirect promotion of prohibited pan masala or tobacco-related products.
The recipients have been given 15 days from receipt of the notices to submit written explanations. The FDA has indicated that further action could follow if explanations are not received or are found unsatisfactory.
The expanding enforcement drive underlines the Maharashtra FDA’s growing focus on food hygiene, expired products, storage practices, pest control and compliance across both traditional and technology-enabled food businesses.
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