The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licence of the 108-year-old Olympia Coffee House in Mumbai’s Colaba after an inspection found several food safety and hygiene violations, including a urinal inside the food storage area, cockroaches and flies in the premises, and meat and blood residues in a refrigerator.
The action was taken following a consumer complaint, officials said.
14 food establishments face action
The licence of the canteen at Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central was also suspended immediately over food safety violations. The hospital is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The two establishments are among 14 food businesses across Maharashtra whose licences have been suspended after 27 were inspected. Other establishments named by the FDA include a Blinkit store in Chembur, Vishwas Sweets and Snacks and A-1 General & Dry Fruits in Ghatkopar, and Milan Punjab in Worli.
Serious violations found at Olympia
At Olympia Coffee House, inspectors found food being handled directly on the floor, unhygienic food preparation and utensil-washing facilities, and the use of unclean water.
Raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was not properly separated, while damaged wooden chopping boards were also being used. Food handlers were found without appropriate protective clothing.
The FDA said 34 of the 35 food handlers at the cafe had not completed mandatory food safety training. Required water testing reports and sanitation records were also unavailable.
The cafe had recently attracted international attention. In July, Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan and actors Tom Holland and Matt Damon visited the establishment for a "quick tea stop" before the Mumbai premiere of their film 'Odyssey'. They had tea with bun maska and desserts.
FDA seizes suspected adulterated food
The FDA's festive-season campaign also led to the seizure of 2,813 kg of milk and dairy products worth Rs 7,38,230 across Maharashtra. The seized stock included khoya, mawa and paneer suspected to be adulterated.
In Thane and Mira Road, more than 2,300 kg of substandard mawa and loose khoya worth over Rs 5.85 lakh was seized. The consignment had allegedly been transported from Gujarat in passenger buses without the temperature controls required for dairy products.
In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 1,221 kg of unlicensed sweets worth Rs 1.92 lakh was seized.
Separately, the FDA intercepted two vehicles in Nagpur carrying banned gutkha and scented tobacco worth Rs 12.10 lakh. Three people were arrested.