The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday suspended the licence of the iconic 108-year-old Olympia Coffee House in Colaba after inspectors found a urinal inside the food storage area, an infestation of cockroaches and flies, and meat and blood residues inside the refrigerator, officials said.
The action against Olympia, taken on a consumer complaint, came alongside the immediate suspension of the licence of the canteen at Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central too, over food safety violations. The hospital is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and is one of the city’s largest public hospitals.
These two are among 14 food establishments across Maharashtra whose licences have been suspended, out of 27 inspected. These included a Blinkit store in Chembur; Vishwas Sweets and Snacks, and A-1 General & Dry Fruits in Ghatkopar; and Milan Punjab in Worli.
At Olympia Coffee House, the FDA, which has visibly upped its activities under chief Tukaram Mundhe, said its inspection recorded several serious food safety and hygiene violations. Apart from the urinal in the food storage area, inspectors found unhygienic food preparation and utensil-washing facilities, food being handled directly on the floor, and the use of unclean water. Raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was not properly segregated, the regulator said. Inspectors also flagged the use of damaged wooden chopping boards and the absence of appropriate protective clothing among food handlers.
Of the 35 food handlers at the establishment, 34 had not undergone the mandatory food safety training, the FDA said. Mandatory water testing reports and essential sanitation records were not available at the premises too.
In July this year, Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan and actors Tom Holland and Matt Damon had visited the Olympia Coffee House for a “quick tea stop” before their film ‘Odyssey’ premiere in Mumbai. The trio had tea with bun maska and a few desserts.
The Blinkit facility was pulled up for non-compliance with hygiene and sanitary safety standards. Sadguru Sweets in Malad (East) and P4B Technologies Service Private Limited in Kharghar, Raigad, were also among those whose licences were suspended.
Four restaurants in Pune district and two in Nagpur are on the list as well.
In Pune and Western Maharashtra region, action was taken against Rangala Punjab, run by RP Hospitalities, in Pashan; Manisha Dosa Center in Karvenagar; Hotel New Nityanand and Ice Cream in Ambegaon; and Manas Family Restaurant in Wai, Satara, which the FDA said had ignored earlier improvement notices. The two Nagpur establishments that lost their licences for now are Superbaker, operating as EMRLD Coffee Shop, in Dharampeth, and Surahi Restaurant & Bar in Nandanvan.
Festive Season Seizure
As part of a campaign run through the festive season, the FDA seized 2,813 kg of milk and dairy products worth Rs 7,38,230 across the state, it said. The stock comprised khoya, mawa and paneer suspected to be adulterated, seized in Mumbai, Konkan, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nashik. A further Rs 4.66 lakh worth of suspected adulterated and substandard items was seized, including namkeen, jaggery, supari and toddy.
In Thane and Mira Road, more than 2,300 kg of substandard mawa and loose khoya worth over Rs 5.85 lakh was seized. The consignment was being brought in from Gujarat in passenger buses without the temperature controls required for dairy transport. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the FDA seized 1,221 kg of unlicensed sweets suspected to be adulterated, including halwa and mawa-based sweets, worth Rs 1.92 lakh. The stock was stored in unhygienic conditions near Panchavati Hotel.
Seizures and ‘stop business’ notices were also issued against Bikaner Sweets in Mangalwedha, Solapur; Chaudhari Bandhu Mithaiwale in Karad; and Rajasthan Sweets in Sangli and Ahilyanagar.
Separately, in Nagpur, the FDA intercepted two transport vehicles carrying banned gutkha and scented tobacco worth Rs 12.10 lakh. Three people were arrested.
(with PTI inputs)
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