Key Update

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has intensified action against food businesses, suspending the licence of Delhi-based Marche Retail Pvt Ltd for 30 days and ordering Daman-based SDP Industries Pvt Ltd to stop selling its ghee products. The action followed inspections, follow-up scrutiny and laboratory analysis that identified food-safety and regulatory violations, according to FSSAI.

Marche Retail Licence Suspended for 30 Days

FSSAI suspended Marche Retail’s licence after inspections found serious deficiencies at its food business premises. The regulator identified shortcomings in facility design, operational controls, sanitation, personal hygiene, food-handler training and mandatory record-keeping.

Following the findings, FSSAI directed the company to cease all food business activities until it addresses the identified deficiencies. The suspension will remain in place for 30 days.

SDP Industries Ordered to Stop Ghee Sales

FSSAI also issued a prohibition order against SDP Industries over non-compliant ghee products and adulteration concerns.

Inspections and laboratory testing found several ghee products manufactured by the company did not meet requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The products included variants sold under the brands Shraddha, Shree Saras and Gokul.

Laboratory analysis detected A-sitosterol, a plant sterol that should not be present in ghee, along with deviations in fatty-acid composition. According to FSSAI, these findings indicated the possible presence of foreign or vegetable fats.

The regulator has therefore directed SDP Industries to stop manufacturing, storing, selling or distributing the affected ghee products from its authorised premises. The company must also ensure that the prohibited products do not enter the market until further orders.

Wider FSSAI Enforcement

The action against the two companies comes amid a broader enforcement drive by FSSAI.

The regulator recently reported issuing more than 150 notices to food companies over misleading advertisements, false claims and labelling non-compliances. The list includes major companies such as Nestle India, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola India, Mondelez India and Ferrero India.

FSSAI has also targeted food businesses operating through the e-commerce sector. It said it issued more than 12 notices to companies including Amazon and Flipkart and cancelled the licence of one Amazon warehouse.

Food-service businesses have also come under scrutiny. FSSAI reported issuing more than 30 notices to establishments including KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Costa Coffee, while five Domino’s licences were suspended. The regulator said several businesses have since begun taking corrective action following the notices.

What This Means for Food Businesses

The latest actions show that FSSAI’s scrutiny now spans multiple points in the food supply chain, including manufacturing, storage, e-commerce and food service.

For businesses, compliance means more than ensuring the final product meets standards. Maintaining proper sanitation, personal hygiene, food-handler training, operational controls, records and labelling is equally important. The recent measures reinforce the need for food businesses to identify gaps early, maintain required standards consistently and address violations promptly.

Source: NDTV