Over 200 Restaurants in Mumbai Found Violating Food Safety Norms

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) is constantly conducting surprise visits at various eateries across Mumbai. They are eyeing eateries violating food safety norms, leading to lifelong health complications among residents.

FDA started raiding eateries across the city in August 2023. From August till now, the FDA has raided 239 eateries. It has served closure notices to 22 establishments for violation of norms. It has served improvement notices to 179 restaurants in Mumbai.

Senior officials stated that at the time of inspection, they noticed that most of the restaurants and eateries in Mumbai lacked cleanliness, had dirty kitchens, open dustbins, stale food, etc. Most importantly, the staff works without caps and gloves which is against FDA’s norms.

Joint Commissioner (Food), Shailesh Adhao of the FDA stated that these restaurants needed to be closely inspected because most of them were breaking the law and locals needed guidance on where to file complaints. After receiving a complaint from a diner in Bandra who found a rat in his food - a startling discovery with serious health risks - the FDA acted. 

Adhao said every year they inspect various restaurants but this time since August they have intensified the inspections. They found that most of them were not following basic food safety norms. He also stated that several eateries were running without license and staffers did not have health certificates of the place.

During the FDA's screening procedure, restaurants are assessed based on roughly 80 to 90 crucial factors.

Three Bademiya locations had stale veggies, rodents, cockroaches, and maggots, among other infractions. The authority discovered that The Burn-Bar & Kitchen at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) did not properly separate its vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, which potentially leads to cross-contamination of food.

Earlier in October 2023, 137 establishments were given two weeks to raise the quality of their cuisine or else have to cease operations. Shailesh Adhao said that nine of the 15 high-end hotels that have been asked to cease operations were closed in october. These places include Banana Leaf in Matunga, New York Burrito in Kandivali West, Hotel Highway Inn in Andheri East, and Cou Cou By Oberoi which is a French-style bakery located at BKC's Jio World Drive.

In August 2023, a police complaint was filed by bank executive Anurag Singh after he saw a dead rat in his meal at Papa Pancho Da Dhaba. Two cooks and the restaurant manager were taken into custody as a result of this complaint. 

Food safety inspectors (FSOs) will keep visiting the city's restaurants and cafes to make sure they're following the guidelines set forth in the Food Safety and Standard Act of 2006. An official stated the city has 18,481 registered eateries, and only 13 FSOs.