Pune News : In the wake of a popular global food chain in Ahmednagar facing repercussions for using cheese analogues without proper disclosure, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a comprehensive drive to inspect similar restaurants and outlets in the Pune region. The results uncovered numerous safety violations, raising concerns about consumer transparency and adherence to food safety regulations.
Incident and Statewide Inspection:
Following the October 2023 incident in Ahmednagar, where a global food chain used cheese analogues without disclosure, the FDA launched a statewide drive to inspect 529 food businesses in the Pune region. The outlets in Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Sangli districts underwent scrutiny to ensure compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Results and Action Taken:
Arjun Bhujbal, Joint Commissioner, FDA (Food), revealed, “We have issued improvement notices to 348 food business operators (FBOs). Samples of 107 food items, including pizza, burger, chicken, and cheese, have been sent to labs, and further action will be taken depending on results.” Sixteen FBOs in the district received stop business notices for violating safety norms.
Future Steps:
Bhujbal emphasized the follow-up measures, stating, “We will re-inspect FBOs which have been issued improvement notices to check if they have completed the compliances.” Abhimanyu Kale, Commissioner, FDA, affirmed that regular inspections of FBOs are conducted, marking the end of the state-wide drive in the Pune region on Wednesday.
