Tukaram Mundhe-led Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carried out more than 12,000 inspections and suspended 603 licences during a three-month enforcement drive from June to August 2026,
with food products worth around Rs 67.20 crore seized across the state.
The official figures, released by the Maharashtra FDA on Friday, show the scale of regulatory action undertaken against food establishments and businesses during the period.
Following the inspections, the department also issued 5,269 improvement notices, filed 655 FIRs and arrested 875 people as a part of their enforcement drive.
The inspections covered a wide range of establishments and food products, with hotels, restaurants, clubs and Dhabas being a part of their key targets. Of the 1,803 establishments inspected, 948 were issued improvement notices and 199 had their licences suspended.
The violations recorded during inspections point to basic food safety concerns including inadequate clean water and drainage facilities, failure to maintain required temperatures in refrigerators, large-scale cockroach infestation and unhygienic food handling. Additionally, the FDA Inspectors also flagged poor structural conditions, unclean utensils and floors, defective drainage and inadequate maintenance of records related to drinking water testing. In some establishments, raw chicken was found stored in open containers and chopped vegetables were not properly sealed, creating a risk of cross-contamination. Gaps were also found in medical examinations and training records of food-handling workers.
Regionally, Pune recorded the highest number of inspections at 4,261, followed by Konkan with 3,142. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded the highest value of seized stock among the regions at Rs 16.01 crore. The FDA’s enforcement extended beyond restaurants. During inspections of milk, dairy and other food products, 2,766 samples were collected, while stock worth Rs 5.40 crore was seized. Separate raids involving items such as edible oil, mangoes, sweets, khoya, bakery products, ghee, dates, ice cream, frozen desserts, spices and supari resulted in seizures worth Rs 42.17 crore. The department also continued its action against banned food products. Between June and August, cases involving pan masala, gutkha, scented tobacco and similar prohibited products resulted in 644 FIRs, 867 arrests and seizure of 110 vehicles. Prohibited stock worth Rs 19.62 crore was seized and 483 establishments were sealed.
The three-month figures underline that the FDA’s enforcement has progressed beyond routine inspections, with licence suspensions, seizures, FIRs and arrests forming a significant part of the action. The challenge now is to ensure that these inspections lead to sustained compliance and safer food practices rather than a mere short-term corrective action to safeguard the consumers’ health in the near future.
