Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Big hotels are now on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) radar. The licence of Hotel Amarpreet on Jalna Road was suspended following a late-night inspection on Monday that revealed serious irregularities. Stocks of stale and rotten vegetables, spoiled mushrooms and expired pizza bases were found in the hotel's chilling centre and storeroom.
Additionally, the use of unlabelled margarine, the presence of wastewater in the kitchen, open garbage bins and a disregard for food storage regulations were observed.
FDA Joint Commissioner Shrikant Karkale stated that officials conducted surveillance for two to three days after receiving information. Once the facts were verified, he, along with Assistant Commissioner Dayanand Patil, Food Safety Officers Kirtika Zhade and Yogesh Kibde, and other staff members, inspected the hotel late into the night on Monday. During the inspection, rotten vegetables were found in the chilling centre and storeroom; spoiled mushrooms and expired pizza bases were also discovered.
A stock of unlabelled margarine was found at the hotel. Margarine is an artificial product made from vegetable oils that resembles butter in both appearance and taste.
The authorities strongly suspect that margarine is being used instead of butter in dishes like butter chicken, butter tandoori roti and gravies, even though the menu lists 'butter'. The 'trans fats' found in margarine increase the risk of heart disease.
Wastewater was found accumulated in the hotel's kitchen, and garbage bins were observed left uncovered. It was also noted that the 'First In, First Out' system, essential for food storage, was not being followed. These issues have raised serious concerns regarding the quality of the food.
The hotel's FSSAI licence has been suspended with immediate effect. During the suspension period, the hotel is prohibited from preparing, processing, storing, or selling any food items, or serving food to customers. A warning has also been issued stating that legal action will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act if business operations continue in violation of the order.
