Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licence of Mumbai’s upscale bar and restaurant Cafe Mondegar in Colaba after serious food safety and hygiene deficiencies were found during an inspection.
The FDA found that hot food items inside the colonial-era restaurant were not being maintained at the required temperature of above 60°C, while cold storage temperatures were not being kept below 5°C.
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Improper thawing methods and failure to rapidly cool cooked food as required were also observed during the inspection.
The inspection, conducted by a team led by FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe, also found moisture-related damage to the flooring. The drainage system near the food preparation area was inadequate, creating a risk of cross-contamination.
The FDA further found that equipment was not being properly cleaned and sanitised.
FESTIVAL FOOD SAFETY DRIVE
Mundhe and his team have intensified inspections and raids at restaurants, eateries, hotels and sweet shops across Maharashtra during the ongoing Ganpati Utsav.
Earlier on Tuesday, the FDA seized 30 litres of liquid milk and 4,138.7 kg of dairy and sweet products, including khoya, paneer, ghee, peda, halwa, shrikhand, butter and milk powder, worth more than Rs 15.5 lakh across the state.
The FDA also carried out a crackdown against banned food items in Jalna district, where goods worth Rs 1.35 crore were seized.
In Greater Mumbai, the FDA has also been conducting hotel inspections and taking action against banned food items as part of its festival drive.
FOOD SAFETY AT GANESH MANDALS
Ahead of Ganeshotsav, the FDA’s Greater Mumbai unit organised awareness workshops for office-bearers and workers of various Ganesh mandals to ensure that prasad and mahaprasad distributed to devotees are prepared and served in a safe, clean and hygienic manner.
A total of five workshops were held at various locations, with 320 Ganesh mandal office-bearers and members of related organisations participating.
The FDA, in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), also organised a special training workshop titled ‘Sweetness of Modak, with the Assurance of Food Safety’ for representatives of around 110 self-help groups involved in making modaks.
At these workshops, FDA Assistant Commissioners (Food) and Food Safety Officers provided guidance on compliance with Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with emphasis on Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
