Maharashtra FDA suspends Radio Club, McDonald’s Colaba licences over food safety violations

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of the Bombay Presidency Radio Club in Colaba and the FSSAI licence of a McDonald’s outlet in South Mumbai, citing serious food safety and hygiene violations.

The action was announced on August 21, following inspections carried out as part of the FDA’s intensified enforcement drive under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.

The department has been conducting inspections of hotels, restaurants, clubs and other food establishments across Maharashtra under its broader food safety campaign.

At the Bombay Presidency Radio Club, an inspection on August 19 reportedly found active flies in several kitchen areas, a dead cockroach and cockroach traps in the utensil-washing section. FDA officials also flagged peeling ceiling plaster above food preparation areas, creating a potential physical contamination risk.

Other violations included food and utensils being stored directly on the floor, chemicals such as washing powder being kept close to food items and unhygienic refrigerators used for storing non-vegetarian food.

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Officials also found improper thawing practices and personal belongings, including helmets and clothes, being stored alongside food.

The McDonald’s outlet at Metro House in Colaba, operated by Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd, was also ordered to stop food business activity after a reinspection found that several earlier deficiencies remained unresolved.

According to the FDA, 18 out of 20 deficiencies identified during an earlier inspection were still present, despite the outlet having submitted a 148-page compliance report. The reinspection reportedly found live cockroaches, inadequate pest-control measures, problems with refrigeration and poor sanitation in food preparation areas.

The FDA also flagged issues involving food waste, cleaning practices and employee hygiene. Officials said workers were allegedly handling ready-to-eat food without washing their hands after handling dirty footwear and soiled cleaning cloths.

The latest action is part of a larger statewide enforcement drive. The FDA said it inspected 89 hotels, restaurants and dhabasin the latest special operation. Improvement notices were issued to 71 establishments, while licences of 13 food establishments were suspendedfor violations.

The crackdown also extends beyond Colaba. Khar Gymkhana and other food establishments have faced regulatory action over alleged hygiene and food safety violations.

The FDA has maintained that establishments found violating requirements related to sanitation, pest control, food storage, temperature control and food handling will face action, including improvement notices and licence suspension.

The latest suspensions come amid a broader push by the Maharashtra FDA to tighten compliance across Mumbai’s food service sector. The department has warned establishments that simply submitting compliance reports will not be enough if subsequent inspections show that violations remain unresolved.

For the affected establishments, operations involving food will remain restricted until the deficiencies are addressed and the regulatory requirements are met.