Mahim restaurant, cloud kitchen shut down by FDA

Mumbai FDA shuts down restaurant in Mahim and a cloud kitchen, fines two others in hygiene drive. 68 eateries inspected, violations found.

Mumbai The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has shut down a restaurant in Mahim and a cloud kitchen and fined two others in a special drive to test the hygiene standards of 68 eateries in the city. FDA started the drive on August 17 after a customer complained of finding a rat in a chicken dish at popular Bandra restaurant Papa Pancho da Dhaba, which was then shut down.

According to FDA officials, Mumbai Darbar in Mahim was asked to shut operations as it was found to be functioning without a food licence. However, when HT visited the restaurant on Tuesday evening, the restaurant was found to be functioning. Co-founder of the restaurant Nachiket Shetye did not want to comment on the issue. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

According to FDA officials, Mumbai Darbar in Mahim was asked to shut operations as it was found to be functioning without a food licence. However, when HT visited the restaurant on Tuesday evening, the restaurant was found to be functioning.

A cloud kitchen Hyprkytchen Foodtech Pvt Ltd that operates eight kitchens across Mumbai was also shut down as it was found to be in violation of rules. “In the cloud kitchen, we found that they had not maintained records of the condition in which the frozen food should be maintained. Cloud kitchens majorly deal with frozen items that are later fried,” said the official. Co-founder of the cloud kitchen Nachiket Shetye did not want to comment on the issue.

“Our team carried out inspections in 68 restaurants across the city as a special drive. We have issued stop work notice to two and fined two after we found several deficiencies in compliances,” said a senior FDA official. The non-compliances including absent water analysis and food safety reports, incomplete staff medical records among others. “The restaurant’s operations will remain suspended until these issues are rectified, and a thorough compliance report is submitted by the management,” said the official.

Food safety inspectors (FSOs) will continue to visit restaurants and eateries in the city to check for compliances laid under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. “We have only 13 FSOs and the city has 18,481 registered eateries. The drive will continue as our officials get to examine five eateries in the city in a day on an average,” said an official.

Concerns over Mumbai restaurants flouting food and drugs regulation was raised after a bank executive, Anurag Singh filed a police complaint when he found a rat in his dish at Papa Pancho Da Dhaba, known for its Punjabi cuisince. This led to the arrest of the restaurant’s manager and two cooks.