Maharashtra's food establishments are now witnessing intensified inspections. The FDA has recently taken action to uncover violations among food establishments. At Mumbai's historic 110-year-old Parsi Dairy Farm, inspectors found fungal growth on walls. They noticed raw materials stored directly on the floor, flies, and inadequate pest-control measures. The inspectors also found that most of the employees had incomplete medical records.

The FDA suspended the establishment's licence on July 15. More importantly, the FDA's findings were about hygiene and safety lapses that could lead to microbiological contamination. FDA officials noted that these conditions could lead to microbiological contamination of food and pose a serious health risk to consumers.

These inspections aren't just about making sure that shops are clean, but also about imposing a standard where food safety is put above everything else. A dirty production environment can lead to a failure of such safety measures before laboratory testing even proves that a particular consumer was harmed. These inspections aim to address that risk.

When Hygiene Becomes a Safety Issue

Parsi Dairy Farm, one of Mumbai's oldest establishments and a trusted place that sees regular customer footfall, was found to have fungal growth in its production and storage areas. The FDA's inspection found that the place lacked proper sanitary measures, while the area was infested with flies and mould. Raw materials were reportedly kept directly on the floor near the affected walls.

Milk and other liquids were not adequately protected, and the inspectors also flagged the presence of multiple flies and the lack of proper pest- and rodent-control measures. Several products also reportedly lacked best-before or expiry dates.

The point of the investigation wasn't to prove that every product in the facility was contaminated or expired, but rather to showcase how these conditions represented a failure of the necessary controls maintained by the establishment. These controls are intended to prevent contamination from occurring in the first place.

One of the reports stated that inspectors documented around 109 violations at the shop. After the suspension, however, we must note that the licence wasn't permanently revoked. The FDA later lifted the suspension after corrective measures were taken, and the dairy resumed operations on July 30, with the promise that regulations would be followed and regular checks would be maintained.

A Substitute on the Plate

Maharashtra imposed a one-year statewide ban on analogue or non-dairy paneer. This covers its manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution, and sale. All aspects of the process are therefore covered by the ban.

This order took effect after the publication of the July 30 Gazette notification. There is a logic behind this. The FDA tested around 308 paneer and dairy-analogue samples collected between April 2025 and March 2026. Out of these samples, around 109, or 35.4 per cent, failed to conform to the prescribed standards. Of these, 79 were classified as substandard and 30 as unsafe.

Analogue paneer is not just about traditional paneer as a dairy product, but rather about how non-dairy products substitute milk fat or milk solids with vegetable oil. These ingredients matter because the problem isn't simply about whether they are cheaper or “fake.” The FDA's concern is stronger. It is rooted in how these products are being sold as paneer without adequately informing customers about what they are purchasing.

The regulatory concern here is a combination of non-compliance with food-safety standards and consumer deception. Products are being presented as paneer while substituting milk fat, and laboratory testing has also identified safety concerns in some samples. This distinction makes the case more solid and credible.

When “Unsafe” Means Toxic

Earlier, Maharashtra had prohibited the sale and distribution of two particular cough syrups: Respifresh TR and ReLife Syrup. This was because, during laboratory testing, diethylene glycol, or DEG, was found at levels above the permissible amount.

Maharashtra's own October 7, 2025 prohibition order identifies both of these products as adulterated and “Not of Standard Quality.” The crucial component of this case is that DEG is a toxic industrial chemical associated with severe poisoning and kidney injury.

This becomes particularly important because the same contamination crisis took place with Coldrif, which was linked to the deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh. Coldrif was contaminated with around 48.6 per cent DEG, whereas the permissible limit is 0.1 per cent.

This showcases why it was necessary to prohibit Respifresh TR and ReLife, as they were also contaminated. However, they were not linked to deaths, and this is an important distinction to make. DEG levels of 1.342 per cent were still found in Respifresh TR and 0.616 per cent in ReLife.

The FDA Is Trying to Stop the Problem Before It Starts

Maharashtra's FDA has moved beyond reacting to unsafe products and has taken active steps to shape children's food environments. The state now prohibits the sale, free distribution, and advertising of trans-fat, high-fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods within school premises and a 50-metre radius around schools.

These measures cover government schools, aided schools, private institutions, school canteens, food suppliers, hostel kitchens, and midday-meal kitchens. Through this effort, approximately 0.8 lakh schools and nearly 2 crore students across Maharashtra are expected to be affected.

The FDA's own order describes the objective as ensuring hygienic, nutritious, and balanced food for school-going children while enforcing the 2020 regulations.

Food safety here isn't just about preventing immediate poisoning; it is also about preventing unhealthy exposure from becoming routine.

Safety Begins Before the First Bite

The recent Maharashtra FDA actions have taken dramatic measures because they involved suspensions, bans, seizures, and prohibitions. These measures aren't just about underlining the problems of poor hygiene, but also about how the food being sold may not be what it claims to be.

Whether it is a toxic chemical entering medicine, an analogue or non-dairy form of paneer, or unhygienic conditions in food establishments, the FDA's interventions attempt to prevent consumers from being exposed to unsafe or unhealthy choices. The common thread of the story is therefore prevention.

Food safety doesn't just begin when a person falls ill. It begins much earlier—with the cleanliness of the production floor, the authenticity of the ingredients inside a packet, the label presented to the consumer, the chemicals inside a medicine bottle, and the food environment surrounding consumers.

References

1. “Maharashtra FDA crackdown continues: Three food licences suspended, 165 litres unsafe milk destroyed” India Today
2. “Tukaram Mundhe: Maharashtra FDA suspends licences of two more food establishments in Mumbai” Hindustan Times
3. “Maharashtra govt bans non-dairy analogue paneer for one year” ThePrint
4. Maharashtra FDA's 2025 prohibition order on DEG-contaminated cough syrups
5. “India declares three cough syrups toxic after child deaths” — Reuters

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