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Delhi's Marche Retail faces FSSAI action; license suspended over hygiene, training lapses
FSSAI said Marche Retail was found operating with deficiencies relating to design, operational controls, sanitation, personal hygiene, etc
Amid the continued crackdown over food safety lapses, the FSSAI has suspended the license of Marche Retail Pvt Ltd for serious violations of law and also prohibited Daman-based SDP Industries from selling all variants of ghee.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Sunday said it has suspended the license of Marche Retail Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, and has issued a prohibition order to SDP Industries Pvt Ltd, Daman, after "uncovering serious food safety violations".
The license of Marche Retail was suspended after it detected serious non-compliances during inspection and subsequent follow-up scrutiny of the food business premises, food regulator FSSAI said.
Why is Marche Retail facing FSSAI action?
The FSSAI said that Marche Retail was found operating with "deficiencies relating to design, operational controls, sanitation, personal hygiene, food-handler training and mandatory record-keeping during the inspection".
Its FSSAI license has been suspended for 30 days, with the regulator telling the company to "cease and desist" from all food business activities and directed it to rectify mistakes.
SDP Industries under scanner
The FSSAI said it issued prohibition order against SDP Industries' "non-compliant ghee products and adulteration concerns".
Also read: NHRC notice to states, UTs, FSSAI over concerns raised about sale, consumption of 'analogue paneer'
During enforcement inspection and sample examination, the regulator said the company's multiple ghee products, including variants marketed under brands such as "Shraddha", "Shree Saras" and "Gokul", were found non-compliant with the applicable requirements under the FSS Act, 2006.
"Laboratory analysis of the ghee samples detected A-sitosterol, a plant sterol that is required to be absent in ghee, along with non-conformity in the fatty-acid composition. The findings were indicative of the presence of foreign/vegetable fats and raised serious food safety concerns," the FSSAI noted.
The regulator has asked SDP Industries to immediately stop selling all variants of ghee manufactured, stored or sold from its authorised premises.
The company has been directed to ensure that the prohibited products are not placed in the market or sold to consumers with immediate effect and until further orders, the FSSAI post said.
Food safety concerns after regulators' crackdown
Regulators have lately unearthed massive food safety lapses across food outlets, restaurants and other such places, with many of them facing license suspension or even closure.
Also read: FSSAI bans plastic, foil packaging for pan masala under new rules
The FSSAI has also cracked its whip on companies for mislabeling their products, prohibiting a sale of such items. The authorities even found a rat in the ice cream freezer at an outlet of quick commerce brand Blinkit in Thane, while a customer in Mangalore reported "foul smell" in chicken ordered from KFC.
A wide range of companies, including consumer goods company Dabur, alcohol brand Old Monk, quick commerce delivery platforms Zepto, Blinkit and Instamart are facing scrutiny. Restaurant chains, including KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks and Monginis have also been inspected for food safety norm violations.
