India's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken significant action against two companies, suspending the license of Delhi-based Marche Retail Pvt Ltd for 30 days and prohibiting the sale of all ghee products manufactured by Daman-based SDP Industries Pvt Ltd.
Marche Retail's License Suspended Over Hygiene Lapses
The FSSAI's inspection of Marche Retail's premises uncovered multiple shortcomings in the company's food safety practices. These violations spanned crucial areas including the overall design and upkeep of the facility, operational procedures, sanitation standards, staff hygiene, employee training protocols, and the maintenance of mandatory records.
As a result, the regulator has ordered Marche Retail to cease all food-related operations for the 30-day suspension period. The company must rectify all identified deficiencies before it will be permitted to resume business.
SDP Industries' Ghee Products Prohibited Due to Adulteration Concerns
Action against SDP Industries followed comprehensive laboratory testing of its ghee samples. The tests revealed the presence of A-sitosterol, a plant-based sterol that should not be found in authentic ghee. Furthermore, irregularities were detected in the product's fatty-acid profile.
According to the FSSAI, these findings strongly suggest the potential presence of vegetable or other foreign fats in the ghee, raising serious questions about its compliance with safety and quality standards. The prohibition specifically impacts ghee sold under the brands Shraddha, Shree Saras, and Gokul. SDP Industries has been instructed to halt the manufacturing, storage, and marketing of ghee from its authorized premises until further notice.
Wider Crackdown on Food Businesses
These latest enforcement actions are part of a broader, intensified scrutiny by the FSSAI across various segments of the food industry, including restaurants, retailers, and consumer brands. Major food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, and Starbucks have recently faced regulatory inspections.
The expanded scope of inspections also extends to quick-commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart. Noteworthy incidents flagged during these inspections include:
- A rat reportedly discovered inside an ice-cream freezer at a Blinkit facility in Thane.
- A customer complaint regarding an unpleasant smell from a chicken order at a KFC outlet in Mangalore.
- The sealing of a Zepto warehouse in Bengaluru's Hoskote over alleged hygiene, labelling, and misbranding violations.
Beyond restaurants and delivery services, the FSSAI has also initiated actions involving established consumer brands such as Dabur and Old Monk. In a separate but related move, the regulator has introduced new restrictions on the use of plastic and foil packaging for pan masala products, reinforcing its commitment to comprehensive food safety enforcement.