The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken swift action against two major food manufacturers, suspending their operating licences with immediate effect. The decision follows recent inspections that exposed critical hygiene breaches and safety non-compliances, posing significant risks to public health.
The regulator announced the suspensions via X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing its commitment to strict enforcement of safety standards across the food sector.
Key Violations Uncovered
1. VKC Nuts Private Ltd (Uttar Pradesh)
During the inspection, the facility scored a dismal 38% on its overall compliance score. Major findings included:
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Pest & Contamination: Live insects in pistachios within the finished goods area, extensive mould/fungal growth in raw storage, rodent droppings, and visible pest damage.
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Storage Breaches: Expired cranberry stock stored alongside finished goods, plus raw material cartons lacking batch numbers, manufacturing, or expiry details.
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Poor Hygiene & Infrastructure: Rusted, damaged machinery, poor sanitation, ineffective pest control, and improper segregation of raw materials, work-in-progress inventory, and final products.
Status: FSSAI has partially suspended the facility’s licence under the FSS Act, 2006, pending further orders.
2. Chheda Specialities Foods Pvt Ltd (Maharashtra)
Scoring 42% in safety compliance, this manufacturing unit showed widespread hygienic failures:
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Unhygienic Handling: Employees mixing besan dough with bare hands and handling food near decomposing waste.
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Facility Neglect: Fungal growth surrounding edible oil tanks, roof leaks, stagnant water, damaged floors, and inadequate waste disposal.
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Floor Storage & Unlabeled Goods: Raw materials and packaging stored directly on wet, dusty floors, alongside containers missing essential labels and traceability records.
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Prior Violations: Multiple food samples previously collected from the plant had already been declared “unsafe” or “misbranded,” with legal proceedings currently pending.
Status: The licence remains suspended until the company implements comprehensive corrective measures—spanning sanitation, infrastructure repairs, pest management, and staff retraining—to fully comply with safety standards.
