Key Update

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered CG Foods India to stop manufacturing certain products after inspectors found workers using broken noodles collected from the factory floor to make bhujia, Reuters reported. The action targets the company’s factory in Rajasthan. CG Foods India operates under CG Corp Global, the conglomerate led by Nepalese billionaire Binod Chaudhary, who built the Wai Wai instant-noodle brand and is widely known as the “Noodle King.”

Inspectors Find Floor-Collected Noodles

FSSAI inspectors found workers “re-processing floor-collected broken noodles into bhujia without heat treatment.” The investigation focused on two Wai Wai-branded bhujia products. Officials also seized nearly 32,000 kg of stock from the facility and found 1,925 boxes of expired finished products. The FSSAI has initiated legal proceedings against the food business operator and sent samples for testing. The action forms part of increased regulatory checks on food businesses over hygiene, storage, labelling and safety practices.

Maharashtra Officials Seize Expired Products

Meanwhile, Maharashtra food safety officials raided a warehouse in Navi Mumbai and found expired and nearly expired products carrying allegedly altered expiry dates and nutrition labels. Officials found chemicals that allegedly removed dates from packaging and machines that printed replacement labels. The raid uncovered nearly 5,000 cartons of consumer products stored across four rooms.

The seized products included Lay’s and Kurkure from PepsiCo, Maggi Masala Noodles from Nestlé, Thums Up and Limca from Coca-Cola, and Knorr Mushroom Soup from Unilever.

Maharashtra FDA Tightens Restaurant Checks

Maharashtra FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe has also stepped up enforcement against food safety violations across the state. Last month, the FDA suspended the licences of four Domino’s outlets and one Pizza Hut outlet after inspections found multiple violations.

The recent actions show how food safety authorities are intensifying checks across manufacturing units, warehouses and restaurants, with greater focus on hygiene, storage conditions, expiry dates and labelling.

Source: India Today