Maharashtra FDA suspends licences of Radio Club, McDonald’s, and 5 other Mumbai eateries

Heavy layers of oil and grease on equipment, rusted metal, and food waste at Status Restaurant. (Photo courtesy - FDA)The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of seven Mumbai establishments, including 98-year-old Bombay Presidency Radio Club, Status Restaurant and McDonald’s outlet in Colaba, as part of a statewide inspection drive carried out on August 19 and 20. Across Maharashtra, FDA teams inspected 89 hotels, restaurants and dhabas over these two days, issuing improvement notices to 71 establishments and suspending the licences of 13. Heavy layers of oil and grease on equipment, rusted metal, and food waste at Status Restaurant. (Photo courtesy – FDA)At the Bombay Presidency Radio Club in Colaba, inspectors found large-scale infestation of live flies in the kitchen, dead cockroaches, and pest-trap wrappers near the dishwashing area. Peeling paint and plaster over the food preparation zone, washing powder stored beside food items, utensils placed directly on the floor, and staff helmets and clothing stored alongside food were also flagged. The establishment’s non-compliance score came in at 47 per cent, and its licence was suspended with immediate effect under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The FDA suspended the FSSAI licence of McDonald’s (Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd) kiosk at Metro House, Colaba, after a re-inspection found that 18 of 20 deficiencies flagged in an earlier improvement notice were yet to be fixed, including uncalibrated refrigeration units, live cockroaches, and staff handling ready-to-eat food without washing their hands after touching soiled clothes and footwear. The FDA also alleged that a 148-page compliance report the outlet had submitted on August 12, claiming all deficiencies had been resolved, did not match what inspectors found on the ground on August 19, a discrepancy the department has flagged as a potential offence under Section 61 of the Act, which covers submission of false information to authorities. It also alleged that the outlet was also found to be using cheese-analogue products. Infestation of live cockroaches found in the kitchen of McDonald’s. Image courtesy- FDAThe Status Restaurant at Nariman Point was inspected following a customer complaint and its licence suspended immediately after inspectors found a staff member washing his face over clean utensils, no grease or cockroach traps, missing temperature logs, and no segregation between raw, cooked, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. For Khar Gymkhana, Khar West, its registration certificate was suspended over a lengthy list of lapses, including “no hot water for washing utensils, improper thawing of frozen food, no FIFO/FEFO stock rotation, and uncalibrated temperature equipment.” Other Mumbai-based restaurants that face licence suspension include Novaara, Malad; Bajrang Sweet Mart, Santacruz West and ASM Hotels and Hospitality Services, Andheri West — licence suspended for hygiene and storage violations under Schedule 4 of the FSS Regulations. The crackdown extended across the state. In Nagpur, Du Brothers Shawarma had its licence suspended for hygiene violations. In Nashik, Avanti Snacks lost its licence over more than a dozen lapses, including no pest-proofing, an undisplayed FSSAI licence, and inadequate handwashing facilities.