FDA crackdown: BMC canteen shut over food safety violation | Mumbai News

July 23, 2026 Headlinesnews

3 min readUpdated: Jul 23, 2026 08:45 PM IST

In a major push against non-compliance of food safety norms across Maharashtra, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Thursday shut the canteen at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. Just a few hours ago, on Wednesday night, the FDA had suspended the BMC canteen operator’s licence after an inspection revealed glaring violations of the stipulated food safety standards.

Earlier, the public health regulatory had suspended the licence of a renowned ice-cream outlet, ‘Rustom’, after finding serious food safety and hygiene violations, including live rats, houseflies, and expired food items stored at the outlet. Few days later, the licence of South Mumbai’s Marine Lines-based 110-year-old Parsi Dairy Farm’s FSSAI was suspended after an inspection revealed multiple lapses.

Situated on the first floor of the annex building, the BMC canteen caters to hundreds including civic staffers, laymen, contractors, politicians, pensioners, and labourers. The BMC headquarter canteen was sealed on Thursday morning and the glass on its doors were covered with papers to prevent access.

The FDA action on BMC canteen: How it happened

The FDA launched an inspection of the canteen’s kitchen, including the seating area, on Wednesday evening. According to some senior FDA officials, the inspection was a follow up to a notice previously served to the canteen operator, Kamal Caterers Private Limited, on June 16.

“We had conducted our first inspection on June 8, where we found multiple violations of our norms…a notice was served [to the operator]. Over a month had passed since the inspection and we also received complaints, after which we launched another inspection on Wednesday,” a senior official from FDA told The Indian Express.

Despite the improvement notice, the authority found no remedial measures during the inspection.

“The inspection revealed multiple discrepancies. The operators had maintained no records of pest control, temperature of the refrigeration, while the servers operated without gloves. The premises were unhygienic, infested with flies while the equipment was not adequately maintained. Accordingly, at 8 pm on Wednesday, we suspended the licence of the food operator,” said the FDA official.

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According to sources, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde had called on the FDA authorities to take stock of their licence suspension.

While BMC officials have remained unavailable for comments, sources from the civic body acknowledged the FDA inspection, maintaining that the civic health department conducts a monthly surprise check of the canteen.

Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai’s residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)

Specialized Focus: Nayonika’s reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India’s largest metropolitan area.

Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:

Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).

Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).

Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai’s hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.

Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.

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