Oil stock seized by FDA
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : Ahead of the festive season, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized 13,711 kg of edible oil worth Rs 26.8 lakh from a vegetable oil repacking unit in Waluj MIDC’s Wadgaon Kolhati and suspended its licence after finding glaring food safety violations. The unit scored just 28 out of 80 marks, or 35%, in the FDA audit and was declared non-compliant. The seized stock included 874 kg of safflower oil, 757 kg of filtered groundnut oil, 1,186 kg of refined palmolein, 2,159 kg of refined soybean oil and 8,735 kg of refined soybean oil.
Not a single batch had been lab-tested,” FDA joint commissioner Shrikant Karkale said. The raid exposed a series of lapses at the facility, including the storage of oil in corroding iron tanks, use of non-food-grade packaging material, absence of laboratory testing and poor hygiene standards. “Oil was stored not in food-grade steel but in corroding iron tanks, against all norms. The factory floor had faulty slopes, walls were dirty, doors had no insect screens. Packing material was not food-grade and had no NABL certificate. He added, “Even the water used had no safety report. Workers were packing oil bare-handed, without aprons, gloves, headgear or shoe covers. No pest control record existed.
Another warehouse at Kanchanwadi was shut after securing just 34% in the audit. A commercial unit in Waluj MIDC was suspended after a re-inspection revealed persistent violations, including water stagnation, slippery floors, peeling plaster, faulty drainage, absence of hot and cold holding systems, lack of cockroach traps and no consumer complaint mechanism. Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news.
Anyone playing with citizens’ health will not be spared,” FDA said. “The unit was repacking and pushing the oil into the market for the festive rush when demand skyrockets. In a parallel crackdown, FDA suspended licences of two other food businesses. Inspectors found food stored on the floor, rusted racks, dust accumulation, no rodent-control measures, no changing room for staff, workers handling food without protective gear and unrestricted entry of delivery personnel. Download the TOI App.