New Delhi, August 23: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced on Sunday that it has taken stringent regulatory action against two food business units in New Delhi and Daman for serious violations of food safety regulations and non-compliance identified during inspections.
As part of this action, the FSSAI has suspended the license of Marshe Retail Private Limited in New Delhi for a period of 30 days, effective immediately. Additionally, a ban has been imposed on SDP Industries Private Limited located in Ringnawada, Daman, due to concerns over non-compliant ghee products and the possibility of adulteration.
The FSSAI stated, “Following the discovery of serious food safety violations, the license of Marshe Retail Private Limited in New Delhi has been suspended, and a ban has been issued against SDP Industries Private Limited in Daman.”
In the case of Marshe Retail, inspections and subsequent follow-up checks revealed deficiencies in the establishment’s design, operational controls, hygiene, personal cleanliness, training of food handlers, and mandatory record-keeping. Essential medical records for food handlers were also unavailable. Furthermore, the required food safety and hygiene documents were not adequately organized.
Consequently, the FSSAI has suspended the license of Marshe Retail Private Limited for 30 days. The food business operator has been instructed to cease all food business activities immediately until the identified deficiencies are rectified and compliance is confirmed by the competent authority.
Meanwhile, the food regulator has issued a ban against SDP Industries Private Limited in Daman. This action followed inspections and sampling of several ghee products manufactured by the company. Products sold under brand names such as “Shraddha,” “Shri Saras,” and “Gokul” were found to be non-compliant with the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 and its associated regulations.
Laboratory tests of ghee samples revealed the presence of beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that should not be present in ghee. Additionally, the fatty acid composition was found to be non-compliant with standards. According to the regulator, these findings indicated the presence of external or vegetable fats, raising serious concerns about food safety.
The food business operator exercised the right to appeal against the initial laboratory findings under the law. The appealed samples were then sent to a referral food laboratory for re-examination. The re-examination also found violations in the tested samples, further strengthening the basis for regulatory action.
The FSSAI noted that the repeated and consistent non-compliance across multiple samples, over different periods and various product variants, indicates that this issue cannot be confined to a specific batch or product.
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