The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the licences of 10 food business operators across Mumbai, including a Swiggy Instamart dark store and an Amazon warehouse, after inspections uncovered severe hygiene violations. The regulatory crackdown, carried out ahead of the festive season, revealed widespread pest infestations, rodent droppings, and unsafe storage practices that posed serious risks to food safety.
Severe Pest Infestations Uncovered in Storage Facilities
At the Swiggy Instamart facility operated by M/s Swinsta ENT Private Limited in South Mumbai, enforcement officers found a live rat moving inside the food-handling area. Multiple 10-kilogram bags of rice showed distinct signs of rodent damage, with gnawed packaging leaving grain scattered across an unclean floor.
Inspectors also documented rodent droppings inside the storage space, alongside cockroaches crawling over food items. Live flies and various insects were present inside storage carts, while a refrigeration unit contained dead insects, dirt, and heavy ice accumulation. Citing these conditions as grave lapses in statutory hygiene standards, the authority suspended the facility’s licence with immediate effect.
Action Extends to Prominent Warehouses and Sweet Outlets
The enforcement drive also led to licence suspensions for nine other food establishments across the city. The affected businesses include Acculogicx Supply Chain Solutions Private Limited’s Amazon warehouse, Sadguru Sweets and Farsan Mart in Malad, Suleman Usman Mithaiwala on Mohammed Ali Road, as well as Chembur-based Nice Enterprises and Jain Sweet & Bhelpuri House LLP.
During these operations, regulatory teams concentrated on basic sanitary compliance, routine pest control, appropriate packaging, and cold-chain temperature monitoring for perishable goods. The suspension orders will remain in force while further regulatory processes proceed against the non-compliant units.
Statewide Seizures Cross One Crore Rupees Ahead of Festivals
Beyond Mumbai, the regulatory agency intensified inspections and market sampling across Maharashtra to intercept contaminated and adulterated products during a period of surging consumer demand. The department has seized suspected adulterated and unhygienic foodstuffs valued at approximately ₹1.36 crore during the ongoing drive.
The confiscated goods include large quantities of khoya, mawa, peda, ghee, edible oils, barfi, sweets, dairy items, jaggery, dried apricots, and raisins. Outside the state capital, officials in Miraj seized 1,868 kilograms of turmeric powder worth roughly ₹6.53 lakh. Laboratory testing of the seized samples is underway to determine whether additional legal action will be initiated.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
