The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the license of Cafe Mondegar, a landmark restaurant and bar in Mumbai, following an inspection that uncovered serious food safety and hygiene deficiencies.
Led by FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe, the inspection team found that the colonial-era establishment failed to maintain hot food items at the required temperature of 60°C and cold food items below 5°C. Further violations included improper thawing methods, a failure to rapidly cool cooked food, moisture damage to flooring, and an inadequate drainage system, which heightened the risk of cross-contamination. Equipment was also found to be improperly cleaned and sanitized.
Increased FDA Scrutiny During Festivals
The suspension of Cafe Mondegar's license comes amidst a heightened period of inspections and raids by the FDA across Maharashtra. These crackdowns target restaurants, eateries, hotels, and sweet shops, intensified during the ongoing Ganpati Utsav festival.
Recent enforcement actions by the FDA have been extensive. On Tuesday, authorities seized 30 liters of liquid milk and 4,138.7 kg of various dairy and sweet products, including khoya, paneer, ghee, peda, halwa, shrikhand, butter, and milk powder, valued at over Rs 15.5 lakh statewide. In Jalna district, a significant crackdown on banned food items resulted in seizures worth Rs 1.35 crore. The Greater Mumbai unit of the FDA has also been actively inspecting hotels and taking action against banned food products as part of its festival safety drive.
Promoting Festival Food Safety
Beyond enforcement, the FDA's Greater Mumbai unit has been proactive in promoting food safety awareness ahead of Ganeshotsav. They organized workshops for office-bearers and workers of various Ganesh mandals, aiming to ensure that prasad and mahaprasad distributed to devotees are prepared and served in a safe, clean, and hygienic manner. Five such workshops were conducted, engaging 320 Ganesh mandal representatives.
In a collaborative effort with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the FDA also held a specialized training workshop for representatives from approximately 110 self-help groups involved in the preparation of modaks, a traditional sweet often distributed during the festival.