Key Update

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence of the 110-year-old Parsi Dairy Farm in Mumbai with immediate effect after inspectors identified several serious food safety and hygiene violations.

During an inspection on July 14, Food Safety Officers found fungal growth on the walls of the storage and production areas, raw materials stored directly on the floor beside fungus-affected walls, and no protected raw milk reception dock. The inspection also revealed a large presence of flies, missing pest and rodent control measures, the absence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), incomplete medical records for food handlers, and food products without mandatory “Best Before”, “Use By”, or expiry date labels.

According to the FDA, these deficiencies could result in microbiological contamination of food and pose a serious health risk to consumers.

Licence suspended, legal action warned

The FDA said the violations breached the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.

Based on the inspection findings, the Designated Officer and Assistant Commissioner (Food), Division-1, suspended the dairy’s licence on July 15. During the suspension period, the establishment cannot manufacture, store, sell, or distribute food products. Authorities warned that any violation of the suspension order would invite legal action.

FDA extends inspection to Palghar facility

The FDA also inspected Parsi Dairy Farm Pvt. Ltd.’s production facility in Palghar on July 16 and collected eight samples for laboratory analysis. The samples included cooking desi cow butter, malai paneer, colostrum, figs, malai kulfi, sweet mawa, cow ghee, and buffalo ghee.

Officials seized nearly 6,000 kg of cooking desi cow butter, 7.5 kg of loose paneer, and 87 kg of unlabelled colostrum, with the total value of the seized stock estimated at around ₹32 lakh. The products were suspected to be misbranded or of substandard quality.

Part of a statewide enforcement drive

The action against Parsi Dairy Farm formed part of a statewide inspection drive targeting milk and milk products. Over two days, the FDA seized 2,317 litres of milk, 30 litres of refined edible oil allegedly used for adulteration, and 6,849.25 kg of milk products, with the total value of seized items estimated at ₹45.78 lakh.

Source: The Indian Express