📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Jorge Royan
Food
FDA suspends 43 food business licences in Maharashtra during Diwali inspections
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 08 Nov 2026, 05:38 AM
👁 2
Maharashtra's Food Safety Authority suspended 43 food‑business licences after pre‑Diwali inspections found violations of hygiene standards.
Maharashtra's Food Safety Authority (FDA) carried out a series of surprise inspections across the state in the run‑up to the Diwali festival. Inspectors focused on compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, checking for proper sanitation, temperature control and labelling.
The raids resulted in the suspension of 43 food‑business licences, affecting a mix of street vendors, small eateries and larger restaurants. Officials cited serious lapses such as inadequate cleaning, use of unapproved additives and failure to maintain temperature logs.
The FDA has issued formal notices to the owners, granting them a statutory period to appeal the suspension. The agency said the action is intended to safeguard public health during the high‑consumption period of Diwali.
No reports of food‑borne illness have been linked to the inspected premises so far. The authority will continue monitoring throughout the festival season to ensure compliance.
The move underscores the government's heightened vigilance ahead of major celebrations, when the demand for ready‑to‑eat foods surges and the risk of contamination rises.
The raids resulted in the suspension of 43 food‑business licences, affecting a mix of street vendors, small eateries and larger restaurants. Officials cited serious lapses such as inadequate cleaning, use of unapproved additives and failure to maintain temperature logs.
The FDA has issued formal notices to the owners, granting them a statutory period to appeal the suspension. The agency said the action is intended to safeguard public health during the high‑consumption period of Diwali.
No reports of food‑borne illness have been linked to the inspected premises so far. The authority will continue monitoring throughout the festival season to ensure compliance.
The move underscores the government's heightened vigilance ahead of major celebrations, when the demand for ready‑to‑eat foods surges and the risk of contamination rises.