FDA asks Camp eateries to shut shop for operating sans licence

Famous joints like Bagwan, Akhtar Caterers and JJ Garden Vada Pav were found to be unhygienic

Food business operators running without licences have come under the scanner of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pune, for doing business without Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licences and have been asked to stop doing business.

The FDA officials during the inspection in Camp found famous establishments like Bagwan, Akhtar Caterers and JJ Garden Vada Pav operating without the licence. FDA has issued stop-business notices to these food operators.

The action was initiated after FDA officials during the inspection not only found they were operating without licences but also found them violating health and hygiene norms of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011.

Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune region, said, “They were doing business without licences and operating in filthy conditions. Due to this they have been issued notices asking them to stop doing business immediately. JJ Garden Vada Pav was found operating in unhealthy conditions with the staff working were found to be not following the basic hygiene. The water used to prepare was stored in a dirty condition with no details about it been safe for consumption. Even the potato that was used to make the vada was spoiled but still used.”

Deshmukh, said, “There were no details about the quality check of the bread that was sold with the vada. We have issued them orders to stop doing the business in a view to safe guard the public health.”

Sanjay Shinde, assistant commissioner of the FDA’s Pune region office, said, “Akhtar Caterers is famous in the Camp area but was found functioning in unhygienic conditions with cockroaches running all around the place. The workers preparing the food were not following the mandatory hygiene conditions and were in a shabby condition. Employees at both Bagwan and Akhtar Caterers were using water stored in unhygienic conditions to prepare the food items.”