Maharashtra FDA cracks down on food adulteration, suspends Parsi Dairy Farm's licence
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of Mumbai-based Parsi Dairy Farm Pvt. Ltd. after inspections uncovered serious violations of food safety and hygiene norms, officials said on July 16.
The action against the popular dairy brand was part of a statewide enforcement drive during which the FDA seized food products worth over Rs 1.90 crore.
According to the FDA, an inspection at the company’s Princess Street facility in south Mumbai revealed multiple violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations, leading to the immediate suspension of its FSSAI licence.
Officials reported several hygiene lapses, including a damaged raw milk reception dock, cracked storage and production areas, improper storage of raw materials and finished products, heavy fly infestation, damaged flooring and drainage systems, and the absence of an effluent treatment plant.
The FDA team also identified several additional violations, including incomplete medical records of food handlers, inadequate protective equipment for workers, poor sanitation records for transport vehicles, and the absence of mandatory ‘Best Before’, ‘Use By’, or ‘Expiry Date’ labels on several food products, officials said.
“The deficiencies posed a serious risk of microbial contamination and public health. The unit has been barred from manufacturing, storing, selling or distributing food products until further orders, and legal proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act have been initiated,” the FDA said.
The action against Parsi Dairy was part of a special statewide inspection drive conducted on July 14 and 15, during which the FDA inspected dairy units, food manufacturing facilities, restaurants and food vendors across Maharashtra, officials added.
According to the FDA, the statewide drive resulted in the seizure of 2,317 litres of milk, 30 litres of refined oil intended for buffaloes, and 6,849.25 kg of dairy products worth Rs 45.78 lakh. The agency also confiscated banned food products valued at Rs 1.36 crore and other food items worth Rs 53.90 lakh. Additionally, improvement notices were issued to 27 establishments following inspections of 57 hotels, restaurants and eateries across the state.
The FDA also raided a unit in Akola that was allegedly manufacturing prohibited food products and seized stock worth approximately Rs 1.23 crore. Separate cases were registered against vendors selling banned gutkha and pan masala in Mumbai, Jalgaon and several other districts.
In Goregaon, FDA officials seized 822 milk pouches containing 558 litres of milk suspected to have been tampered with and destroyed the stock, valued at Rs 39,593, the statement said. In Govandi, inspectors destroyed 1,683 litres of loose pasteurised buffalo milk worth more than Rs 1.07 lakh after finding it was being stored and sold in violation of mandatory labelling norms.
The agency also seized 61.25 kg of dairy products, including cheese blends and mozzarella cheese, from a food establishment in Mulund over labelling violations and the suspected use of cheese analogue. The seized products were valued at Rs 19,759.
In Palghar, the FDA confiscated food products worth around Rs 32.11 lakh from another unit of Parsi Dairy Farm over suspected misbranding and substandard quality. Separately, officials seized 151 kg of paneer from Vasai-based Shiv Dairy, which was found operating without the mandatory food business registration, the statement added.
