Maharashtra FDA Suspends Parsi Dairy Farm's Licence Over Serious Food Safety Violations

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the FSSAI licence of Mumbai's iconic Parsi Dairy Farm Pvt. Ltd. with immediate effect after inspectors found serious food safety and hygiene violations at its manufacturing facility, while also seizing and destroying food products worth Rs 35.36 lakh in a statewide enforcement drive against food safety violations.

The action against the Princess Street-based dairy followed an inspection conducted on July 14, which revealed multiple breaches of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. Based on the inspection report, the Designated Officer and Assistant Commissioner (Food), Circle-I, suspended the company's FSSAI licence (No. 11517001000254) on July 15 with immediate effect.

FDA officials found several critical deficiencies, including mould and fungal growth on walls in production and storage areas, fly infestation, poor sanitation, raw materials stored directly on the floor, the absence of a protected raw milk reception dock, inadequate pest-proofing, lack of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), incomplete medical records of food handlers, missing sanitation records for transport vehicles and the absence of mandatory food labels such as "Best Before", "Use By" and "Date of Expiry" on several products.

The regulator said these lapses posed a serious risk of microbial contamination and could compromise consumer health. The company has been directed to immediately stop manufacturing, storing, selling and distributing food products until further orders. The FDA warned that any violation of the suspension order would invite legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

In a parallel crackdown under its statewide food safety enforcement drive, the FDA carried out raids in Goregaon, Govandi, Mulund, Talasari (Palghar) and Vasai, targeting adulterated and improperly labelled dairy products.

During the operations, officials seized tampered milk pouches, loose pasteurised buffalo milk, loose paneer, cooking desi cow butter, unlabelled colostrum, diced cheese blend, diced mozzarella cheese, barfi, cow ghee, buffalo ghee, malai paneer, malai kulfi, sweet mawa and figs.

The department seized and destroyed food products collectively valued at Rs 35.36 lakh, arrested two persons, issued a Stop Business Notice and initiated legal proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

In one of the key operations, FDA officials, along with the Crime Branch Unit-11, Kandivali, booked Krishna Lingampalli (48) and Ravi Patikaka (45), both residents of Prem Nagar, Goregaon, for allegedly tampering with branded milk pouches and selling them in Goregaon (West). The accused were arrested, and the adulterated milk was seized and destroyed.

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