2 weeks ago

Mumbai restaurants shut for repairs as FDA crackdown intensifies

Mumbai restaurants shut for repairs as FDA crackdown intensifies
Restaurants, government canteens in Mumbai voluntarily shut for repairs, deep cleaning as FDA crackdown intensifies · indianexpress.com

Many restaurants in Mumbai, a big city in India, have decided to close for a little while.

They are painting walls, fixing broken tiles, and cleaning very carefully.

This is because a government food-safety team, called the FDA, is checking restaurants more strictly than before.

The FDA can take away a restaurant's special permission to serve food if it finds problems.

Some restaurants closed because they wanted to avoid getting in trouble.

Workers at one restaurant now clean three times a day instead of two.

Even some government cafeterias closed to fix things.

One restaurant called K Rustom did close after the FDA checked it at night and took away its permission.

Another restaurant said it closed only for planned repairs, not because it broke rules.

The restaurant owners say the checks make them lose money, but the FDA says checking kitchens is important for safe food.

Key facts

Regulator
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Location
Mumbai, Maharashtra
AHAR restaurant members in Mumbai
About 8,000
Members that did renovation work
At least 50 per cent
FoSTaC professionals trained by HRA (Western India)
4,018
Ayub's closure duration
4 days
K Rustom action
Overnight FDA raid; licence suspended
Government canteens found shut
MMRDA office, Mumbai Suburban District Collector's premises (BKC), Kalina University

Quotes

Vijay Shetty

President of the Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHAR)

“"They are third-generation owners, their image has been built by their ancestors over decades. FDA is not only suspending licences but also naming and shaming restaurants, which is causing significant financial loss as well as a lot of harm to the reputation they have built over the years."”
indianexpress.com

An FDA official

Unnamed Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officer

“"We have seen that government canteens have shut themselves off for repair work so that they can keep their cuisine standards. It’s a good thing that restaurants are finally waking up."”
indianexpress.com

Shree Thaker Bhojanalay

Owner/management of the Mumbai restaurant Shree Thaker Bhojanalay

“"We’ve seen some reports and comments suggesting that Shree Thaker Bhojanalay has been shut down due to hygiene or food‑safety violations. This is not true. Our temporary closure is entirely for planned kitchen upgrades, repairs and some paint touch‑ups."”
indianexpress.com

Sources

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