Mumbai's Ayub’s shut down: FDA suspends licence over multiple violations

Mumbai, Aug 25 (PTI) Continuing its enforcement drive, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of four hotels and food establishments, including south Mumbai's famous eatery Ayub's, citing multiple violations, officials said on Tuesday.

The regulator has also seized food products worth Rs 2.24 crore during inspections carried out across the state, they said.

According to the FDA, 37 hotels, restaurants and eateries were inspected as part of its state-wide enforcement drive targeting food safety, hygiene violations, and adulteration. Following the inspections, improvement notices were issued to 31 establishments and licences of four food establishments were suspended.

The seized material included 55,996 kg of roasted arecanut worth Rs 2,23,98,400 in Nagpur, taking the total value of seized food products to Rs 2,24,61,888, with the confiscated stock weighing 60,709.8 kg, it said.

The four establishments whose licences were suspended are: Ayub's in Mumbai's Fort area, an eatery of M/s Sankalp Mahila Audyogik Utpadak Sahakari Sanstha Ltd in Kurla, Burhampur Jalebi Centre and Step In Restaurant, both in Nagpur, said the FDA.

The regulator said serious and widespread food safety violations were found at Ayub's during an inspection on August 22. These included improper storage of high-risk food such as eggs at room temperature, lack of segregation of raw and cooked food, unhygienic food-handling areas, open and poorly maintained drains, stagnant water, presence of houseflies and inadequate pest-control measures.

The authority noted deficiencies were also found in personal hygiene facilities for food handlers, food testing and traceability records. The licence of Ayub's was suspended from August 23 under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the rules and regulations made under it.

The licence of the Kurla-based Sankalp Mahila Audyogik Utpadak Sahakari Sanstha Ltd was suspended with immediate effect, the FDA said.

In Nagpur, the licences of Burhampur Jalebi Centre in Pratap Nagar and Step In Restaurant in Giripeth were suspended after violations of prescribed hygiene and food safety requirements were found during regular inspections, it said.

The FDA clarified that these were administrative licence suspensions following regular inspections and not immediate or "tatkal" suspensions.

The government agency also issued 31 improvement notices to establishments found with deficiencies.

Of the 37 establishments inspected, 12 were in Mumbai, 14 in Pune, seven in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and four in Nagpur. Improvement notices were issued to 10 establishments in Mumbai, 14 in Pune, five in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and two in Nagpur.

Separately, the FDA seized 4,317 kg of food products worth Rs 7,26,966 from an unlicensed food business in Pune. It also recorded 396.8 kg of suspected adulterated loose refined soybean oil in Jalgaon district, with samples sent for laboratory analysis.

The FDA said the enforcement action was part of its continuing efforts to ensure safe and quality food for consumers and warned that strict regulatory and legal action would be taken against businesses violating safety norms. PTI