In a major food safety action, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the FSSAI licence of Heera Sweets’ Pachpaoli manufacturing unit, where its popular Orange Barfi is prepared, after a dead rat was found beside a large steam-heated cooking cauldron during a routine inspection on July 3. Based on the findings, the FDA suspended the unit’s FSSAI licence under Clause 2.1.8(4) of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations.

 

The inspection was conducted by a Food Safety Officer (FSO) as a part of periodic inspections carried out every three to four months to ensure compliance with Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, which prescribe mandatory hygiene, sanitation and pest control standards for food establishments. The team also observed several hygiene deficiencies, including poor housekeeping, inadequate sanitation and walls that had not been painted or properly maintained, constituting violations of Schedule 4 requirements.

 

The action comes in the wake of recent directions issued by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who instructed all field officers to strictly enforce Schedule 4 provisions, particularly those relating to pest control, sanitation and hygienic manufacturing practices. He had directed that stringent action, including suspension of licences, be taken wherever serious violations are detected. FDA officials said the food business operator (FBO) has been directed to rectify all deficiencies. The licence will be considered for restoration only after the unit complies with the prescribed food safety standards and the FDA verifies the corrective measures.