Rohini food firm licence suspended after FSSAI finds serious violations

FSSAI found water stagnation, foul odour, fungal growth and degraded oils, while 74kg/litres of non-compliant food was destroyed.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has suspended the food business licence of Delhi’s Seven Seas Hospitality, based in Rohini, over non-compliance with norms and violations, including the presence of fungus, cockroaches, and house flies in the kitchen.

Inspectors found fungal growth on tomatoes, papaya, jaggery and cashews, along with rotten capsicum and inadequate food storage. (HT)

In a social media post on Wednesday, FSSAI informed that it found “serious non-compliances” during the inspection of the food premises. The company achieved a “compliance score of only 30%”, the regulator mentioned in its post.

The FSSAI described the kitchen condition as filthy and that food inspectors observed poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, including water stagnation, foul odour, filth and inadequate housekeeping in food preparation areas. “Deteriorated food materials” were found, including fungal growth on tomatoes, papaya, jaggery, and cashew nuts. Rotten capsicum and degraded cooking oils were also found.

The regulator also pointed out food storage deficiencies, including inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.

“Deficiencies were observed in pest control, reflected in the presence of cockroaches and house flies. There was a lack of basic infrastructure facilities. Non-compliance in sanitation, record maintenance, and water testing was also observed,” it added in the post.

The FSSAI officials destroyed “74 kg/litres” of non-compliant food articles on the premises.

“In view of the violation of food safety rules, the FSSAI has suspended its licence to Seven Seas Hospitality Pvt. Ltd with immediate effect. The company has been directed to cease all food business activities during the suspension period with immediate effect,” said the food safety regulator in the post.

In a major crackdown, the food safety regulator has been inspecting food businesses and also e-commerce platforms for violation of regulations under the FSS Act.

Last week, FSSAI announced it had initiated penal action against multiple e-commerce operators for food safety and regulatory non-compliances. The action targeted platforms such as Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, Bigbasket, Flipkart India, and Zepto for selling food items such as dates, milk, and yoghurt with misleading claims.