Food business operators (FBOs) operating without licences and without being registered with the food safety authority have come under the scanner of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra’s Pune division. FDA has directed the errant FBOs to either get licences or stop business.
“A team of FDA officials, including food safety officer Ramakant Kulkarni and Imran, conducted inspections at several eateries in Pune,” said FDA Pune officials in a statement.
“They found the FBOs violating the rule prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. Several establishments in Pune, including Garden Vada Pav Centre (Nana Peth), Akhtar Caterers (MG Road) and Baghban Hotel, were found operating without the licence,” they added.
During the inspection, the FBOs were also found violating basic health and hygiene norms of food safety prescribed under the law.
Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune, said, “Several FBOs were doing business without licences and operating in unhygienic conditions. Their staff also was found not following the hygiene and sanitation practices.”
“The water used to prepare food items was stored in a dirty condition with no details about it being safe for consumption. Even the potatoes that were used to make the vadas were spoiled, but they were still being used,” he added.
Sanjay Shinde, assistant commissioner, FDA, Pune, informed, “Action campaign against caterers operating without registration has been taken up in the city. Upon inspection of Garden Vada Pav Centre, it was found that the food was being prepared unhygienically.”
“Besides, it was found that the workers were not informed about good hygiene practices; there was improper storage of water, bad quality of potatoes, no bills for the vada pav they sold every day, and above all, the place was in operation without licence,” he added.
Shinde said, “Akhtar Caterers was also operating without the FSSAI licence, and the place was found to be in an unhygienic condition. Even pests were found in the cooking area.”
He added that action was being initiated against the non-compliant FBOs, and they have been asked to obtain the licences as early as possible, else they will not be able to operate.
