FDA ordered the immediate closure of Sweet Mart in Kannad following an inspection on Sept 16
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its ‘Safe Food Safe Maharashtra’ campaign across Marathwada, suspending the licences of a sweet mart in Kannad and a dairy unit in Parbhani for serious hygiene violations, while seizing 675kg of food products worth Rs 2.9 lakh from six establishments in Nanded during a festive season enforcement drive. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, FDA suspended the licence of a sweet mart at Chincholi in Kannad taluka and ordered its immediate closure after an inspection on Sept 16 found major food safety lapses. The unit scored 38 of 64 marks (60%) and was declared non-compliant. Officials found an open gap in the kitchen ceiling, damp and greasy food preparation areas, absence of temperature monitoring in deep freezers and an outdated water analysis report from 2022. Acting under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FDA suspended the licence till further orders. In Parbhani, food safety officers raided a dairy on Wasmat Road and suspended its licence after it scored just 20 of 66 marks (31%) during inspection.
The officials reported serious hygiene violations, including storage of floor-cleaning acid alongside milk products, open food storage, insect and lizard infestation and the absence of waste management measures.
“Food handlers had not undergone medical examinations and were working without protective gear,” an official said, adding that mandatory records, including purchase bills, cleaning schedules and pest control logs, were also unavailable. Meanwhile, FDA conducted a special festive season drive in Nanded, inspecting six establishments and collecting eight samples. Authorities seized 675kg of food stock, including ghee, khawa, peda, mawa products and edible oil.
FDA has urged consumers to buy food products only from licensed vendors and to verify packaging details and expiry dates before making purchases.