Mumbai's iconic Poornima Restaurant loses FSSAI licence amid Maharashtra FDA's hygiene crackdown

Mumbai's iconic Poornima Restaurant, a popular Udupi eatery in the city's Fort area for over six decades, has lost its Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence after Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found multiple food safety and hygiene violations during a surprise inspection.

The inspection, conducted on July 23, led the FDA to suspend the restaurant's licence with immediate effect under provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

According to the FDA, inspectors found fungal growth on raw vegetables, including drumsticks meant for sambar, as well as on bananas used to prepare the restaurant's popular banana vada. Officials also reported that raw ingredients were being stored alongside cooked and frozen food, increasing the risk of cross-contamination.

The inspection further revealed flies inside the kitchen, stagnant water, dirty drainage systems without cockroach traps, rusted walls and ceilings, peeling paint, and refrigerators with damaged door seals. The FDA also alleged that the restaurant was using non-food-grade plastic containers for food storage.

Officials said the establishment had also failed to maintain mandatory medical fitness certificates and periodic health check-up records of food handlers, another violation under food safety regulations.

Following the inspection, the FDA suspended the restaurant's FSSAI licence with immediate effect. The restaurant will not be permitted to resume operations until all deficiencies are rectified and a fresh inspection confirms compliance with food safety norms.

Located near the Bombay Stock Exchange in South Mumbai's Fort area, Poornima Restaurant has been one of the city's best-known Udupi eateries for more than 60 years.

Part of a wider crackdown

Poornima is the latest in a series of prominent Mumbai food establishments to face regulatory action as the Maharashtra FDA intensifies inspections across restaurants, bakeries, canteens and food businesses under a state-wide food safety drive.

In recent weeks, the FDA has suspended the licences of several well-known establishments after inspectors uncovered serious hygiene and food safety violations.

Among them is the iconic K. Rustom & Co. in Churchgate, whose licence was suspended after officials reported the presence of rats and houseflies, along with expired food ingredients on the premises.

The contractor operating the BMC headquarters canteen in Fort also had its food licence suspended over multiple food safety lapses, leading to the closure of the civic body's canteen.

The FDA has also ordered the closure of four bakeries in Mumbai after inspections revealed unhygienic conditions and violations of food safety norms.

Earlier this month, licences of three other popular restaurants in the city were suspended after surprise inspections found serious breaches of hygiene standards.

The enforcement drive is being led by Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who has stepped up inspections across the state following concerns over food hygiene and consumer safety. Officials have maintained that restaurants and food businesses found violating the Food Safety and Standards Act will remain shut until they rectify deficiencies and obtain fresh clearance from the regulator.