Maharashtra’s food-safety crackdown has widened again. The state Food and Drug Administration suspended licences or registrations of 13 food businesses after a special inspection drive across Maharashtra, with McDonald’s Colaba, Bombay Presidency Radio Club, Khar Gymkhana and Status Restaurant among the most prominent names. Inspectors reported live flies, cockroaches, poor food segregation, dirty equipment, rotting food waste and other hygiene failures. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, an inspection under the same drive found spoiled paneer, darkened cooking oil and uncovered food at MHARO Gayatri Mewad.
The August 19-20 drive covered 89 hotels, restaurants and dhabas. Officials issued 71 improvement notices and suspended 13 food business licences or registrations. The action comes amid Maharashtra FDA inspections targeting restaurants, quick-commerce facilities and large food chains.
What Did Maharashtra FDA Find In The Latest Raids?
The sharpest findings came from South Mumbai. At Bombay Presidency Radio Club in Colaba, inspectors reported a large infestation of live flies, dead cockroaches, peeling ceiling material above food-preparation areas, chemicals stored near food and unclean refrigerators. The club recorded 47% non-compliance, according to reports citing the FDA release.
At Status Restaurant in Nariman Point, officials said an employee was seen washing his face directly over clean utensils, with wastewater splashing onto them. Dirty crockery, stagnant water, grease, rust and food waste were also recorded.
Khar Gymkhana was cited for inadequate storage, poor segregation of raw and prepared food, lack of hot water for utensil washing and improper thawing of frozen food.
News9 also carried the enforcement update through its official news account on X, naming the Radio Club, McDonald’s Colaba and Status Restaurant in its August 21 post.
Which 13 Outlets Had Licences Suspended?
The FDA’s reported suspension list covered Mumbai as well as Nagpur, Nashik, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Parbhani:
- Bombay Presidency Radio Club, Colaba, Mumbai
- McDonald’s Family Restaurant kiosk, Metro House, Colaba, Mumbai
- Novaara, operated by Ingenious Kitchens Pvt Ltd, Malad, Mumbai
- Status Restaurant, Nariman Point, Mumbai
- Khar Gymkhana, Khar West, Mumbai
- Bajrang Sweet Mart, Santacruz West, Mumbai
- ASM Hotels and Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd, Andheri West, Mumbai
- Du Brothers Shawarma, Nagpur
- Avanti Snacks, Nashik
- Pintu Yadav Sweets, Amravati
- Chhappan Bhog Thali Restaurant and Banquet Hall
- MHARO Gayatri Mewad Pvt Ltd
- Star Bakery
Reports did not publish a detailed inspection sheet for every establishment. However, the listed suspensions were linked to sanitation, hygiene, food-storage, or food-safety violations. At MHARO Gayatri Mewad, inspectors reportedly found spoiled paneer with a strong smell, blackened cooking oil, uncovered noodles, and food without preparation or use-by information.
Why Did McDonald’s Colaba Face Immediate Suspension?
The McDonald’s kiosk at Metro House, operated by Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd, drew attention because it had already received an improvement notice. During an August 19 reinspection, the FDA said 18 of 20 earlier deficiencies remained unresolved.
Officials reported live cockroaches, uncalibrated refrigeration equipment, no adequate pest traps, rotting food waste on the kitchen floor, and dirty cleaning cloths. Staff were also allegedly seen handling ready-to-eat food without washing their hands after touching dirty footwear and soiled cloths.
The FDA said the outlet had submitted a 148-page compliance report on August 12, but the reinspection still found most serious deficiencies. Inspectors also flagged “GO Cheese Sauce”, described as a processed non-dairy or analogue product, while customer-facing claims referred to real cheese or paneer. That was treated as a labelling and representation concern, not proof that every cheese product sold by McDonald’s was fake.
The Wider Crackdown Is Getting Bigger
Earlier in August, Maharashtra FDA checked 104 chain-food establishments, including Domino’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks and Monginis. Four Domino’s outlets and one Pizza Hut outlet faced licence suspensions during that sweep.
A separate August 13 drive inspected 86 quick-commerce food facilities linked to Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart and others. Fourteen licences were suspended after inspectors reported expired products, pest activity, poor temperature control and storage failures.
The latest two-day operation also led to seizures of adulterated dairy products and banned gutkha. Reports said 2,348 kg of dairy powder and 902 litres of adulterated milk were seized, while banned products worth ₹14.55 lakh were confiscated.
What Happens Now For Restaurants And Customers?
A suspension is not automatically a permanent cancellation. Under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, an operator can be required to correct violations before the licensing authority allows operations to resume. FSSAI’s hygiene rules also require licensed food businesses to follow Schedule 4 sanitary and food-handling requirements.
Customers who spot pests, spoiled food, unsafe storage, or misleading food labels can use Maharashtra FDA’s official grievance portal to file a complaint and track it.
FAQs
Is McDonald’s banned across Maharashtra?
No. The suspension concerns the Colaba kiosk, not every McDonald’s restaurant operating across Maharashtra today.
Why was the Radio Club licence suspended?
Inspectors reported flies, dead cockroaches, unsafe storage, dirty refrigeration and other hygiene failures during inspection.
How many establishments were inspected in the latest drive?
The Maharashtra FDA inspected 89 hotels, restaurants and dhabas during the August 19-20 enforcement drive.
Can a suspended food outlet reopen later?
Yes. Reopening can follow corrective action, regulatory review and satisfactory compliance with food-safety conditions again.
Where can customers report unsafe food in Maharashtra?
Consumers can complain through Maharashtra FDA’s grievance portal, including details, location, photographs and supporting bills.
