Pune FDA Seizes 395 Tonnes Of Food Worth ₹10.39 Crore During Festive Drive; 229 Licences Suspended Over Violations

Pune: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected 2,540 food establishments across the Pune division during its special festive surveillance drive from September 1 to November 3, 2026. The administration seized 395.25 metric tonnes of food stock worth ₹10.39 crore and suspended 229 licences for violations of food safety regulations.

FDA Issues 1,107 Improvement Notices, Cancels Five Food Licences

According to the FDA, 1,107 improvement notices were issued to food establishments found violating prescribed standards, while five licences were cancelled. The department also collected 2,333 food samples for testing as part of its enforcement action.

The special drive was conducted to prevent food adulteration, the sale of substandard products and other food safety violations during the festive season. Demand for sweets, khava, milk, ghee, edible oil, dry fruits, farsan and gift packs increases significantly during Diwali, raising concerns about adulteration, improper manufacturing practices, misleading labelling and the sale of stale or expired food products.

Food establishments involved in the manufacturing, storage, transportation and sale of these products were brought under the FDA’s surveillance.

All Joint Commissioners (Food), Assistant Commissioners (Food) and Food Safety Officers were directed to conduct inspections, surveillance and sampling throughout the festive period. Special attention was also given to the transportation of khava brought into Maharashtra from other states, considering the possibility of adulteration and the sale of unsafe products.

At the state level, the FDA inspected 9,667 food establishments between September 1 and November 3. During this period, 4,603 improvement notices were issued and 954 licences and registrations were suspended.

The administration said the drive aimed to ensure the availability of safe and quality food products and prevent consumers from falling victim to food adulteration during the festive season.