Maharashtra FDA seizes food stock worth Rs 1.90 crore
The statewide crackdown targeted health supplements with rejected ingredients and prohibited items like gutkha and pan masala.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized food articles worth Rs 1.90 crore during a statewide crackdown on November 13, according to reports by Urban Acres, The Times of India, and Free Press Journal.
The operation, conducted under the Safe Food Safe Maharashtra drive, targeted manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of nutraceuticals, health supplements, and other food products across six divisions.
Officials seized health supplements and nutraceuticals valued at approximately Rs 1.38 crore from 17 establishments. These products, including Rejuvance, Altibrain-S, Magladense, and EQOQ, reportedly contained Magnesium Acetyl Taurate and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, ingredients the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had rejected.
The FDA stated that manufacturers allegedly produced these items without necessary approvals, while marketers sold them without the correct food category endorsed on their licences. In Nagpur, nutraceutical seizures reached Rs 57.30 lakh, while Konkan recorded Rs 47.65 lakh.
In Mumbai, officials seized Rs 31,149 worth of prohibited items, such as gutkha and scented pan masala, from six pan shops in Dahisar, Dharavi, Goregaon, and Antop Hill. In Pune, the department registered a case involving stock worth Rs 3,61,270 and a vehicle valued at Rs 2 lakh.
The crackdown also led to the immediate suspension of licences for Hotel Vaishali and Rupali Restaurant in Pune due to hygiene and safety violations. Both establishments are prohibited from providing dine-in, parcel, or home-delivery services until they rectify deficiencies and receive written permission from the FDA.