Maharashtra FDA seizes 4,002 kg of sweets from bus in Mumbai, ₹45 lakh food items in statewide crackdown

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The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized 4,002 kg of sweets and halwa worth over ₹11 lakh from a luxury bus in Mumbai’s Chembur on November 2, after finding that the food items were being transported in unhygienic conditions without temperature control. The seizure was part of a statewide inspection drive conducted between November 1 and 3, during which authorities confiscated food items worth approximately ₹45 lakh.

According to an FDA press release issued on Tuesday (November 3), officials intercepted a luxury bus operated by Tania Travels on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road near Tilak Nagar Police Station. The consignment, valued at ₹11.11 lakh, was seized over suspected adulteration and potential health risks.

The seized items included 2,098 kg of Gopal Sweet Barfi, 598 kg of Nandi Indian Dessert, 538 kg of Shree Bansidhar Sweet Halwa, 448 kg of Shree Gokul Traditional Sweets, 268 kg of Nandi Indian Sweet Halwa and 52 kg of Shree Gokul Halwa.

The operation was conducted jointly by FDA officials and the police. Six samples have been collected for laboratory analysis, and further action will be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, based on the test results.

During the three-day statewide drive, the FDA also seized prohibited food products worth ₹11.55 lakh in the Konkan and Nashik divisions. Three FIRs were registered, two people were arrested, two establishments were sealed, and two vehicles were confiscated.

In Nashik division alone, prohibited food products worth ₹11.08 lakh were seized, along with a vehicle valued at approximately ₹8 lakh. Two FIRs were registered and two people arrested. In Konkan division, authorities seized prohibited products worth ₹46,490, sealed an establishment and confiscated a vehicle.

Separately, inspections targeting suspected substandard, adulterated and unsafe food products resulted in seizures worth ₹22.34 lakh across the state. The largest seizure under this category was reported from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, where officials confiscated 5,066 kg of food products and 420 litres of edible oil worth ₹11.30 lakh.

Other seizures included food products worth ₹5.30 lakh in Konkan, ₹3.76 lakh in Pune, ₹1.05 lakh in Amravati, ₹43,200 in Nashik and ₹48,500 in Nagpur. In Pune, seized perishable food items suspected to be unsafe were destroyed at the municipal waste processing centre in Dhankawadi.

The FDA also suspended the licences of five establishments across Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana and Washim districts. Another establishment in Yavatmal was issued a notice to stop operations until it obtained the required registration certificate.

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said inspections would continue to ensure food safety and compliance with hygiene, storage and transportation regulations. Citizens have been urged to report suspected food adulteration or unsafe products through the FDA’s toll-free helpline, 1800222365, or its online grievance portal.