Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licences of five prominent sports clubs in the city for alleged violations of hygiene norms, including cockroach infestations, poor sanitation and unsafe food storage practices.
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The kitchen sinks at the RK Juhu Gymkhana were in a bad condition and could become a breeding ground for insects, the FDA statement said. Food-handling personnel were found not to be wearing caps, gloves, or aprons.
The Aparna Juhu Gymkhana kitchen allegedly had rusted cooking equipment that was not sterilised before and after use. The FDA team also found insects, particularly flies, in the kitchen area, and noted that the food handlers were not wearing gloves, caps, or aprons, the statement said. The FDA ordered the Goregaon Sports Club to stop kitchen operations immediately after inspectors found it operating without a valid food licence.
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The food licences of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) at Churchgate, Willingdon Sports Club in Tardeo, MIG Cricket Club in Bandra, RK Juhu Gymkhana, and Aparna Juhu Gymkhana were suspended, while a restaurant at the Goregaon Sports Club was issued a stop-business notice, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
The action is part of an ongoing statewide crackdown on unhygienic eateries since IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe took charge as FDA commissioner in May. In recent weeks, the agency has suspended the licences of popular eateries such as Noor Mohammadi, Shalimar, Rahmania, K Rustom & Co Ice Cream Parlour, and Jimmy Boy Mahim, citing alleged food safety and hygiene violations.
As part of this drive, the FDA raided the kitchens of the sports clubs on July 27. At the CCI club, they found a large infestation of live cockroaches and flies in food-handling and waste-disposal areas, according to the statement.
The CCI kitchen was also found to be storing spoiled vegetables, overripe mushrooms, and expired food. There was a heavy accumulation of dirt, grease, sludge, and stagnant water on food-contact equipment, floors, and drains, while clogged drains and cockroach traps created unsanitary conditions, the statement said. Inspectors also allegedly found brooms on the kitchen counters, posing a risk of contamination.
The Willingdon Sports Club kitchen allegedly has brittle walls and ceilings, and food particles were found on a slippery, dirty floor. Besides, the sewers were not maintained, the kitchen had no cleaning schedule, and the hygiene of food handlers was neglected, according to the FDA.
The kitchen at MIG Cricket Club, operated by third-party contractor Nebula Catering Services, allegedly had severe unsanitary conditions and an insect infestation, including live cockroaches and spider webs. The FDA said the catering agency was operating without a valid food licence and had failed to follow prescribed food-handling and storage norms, thereby increasing the risk of cross-contamination.
According to the FDA, the licences of these establishments would remain suspended until they rectify the deficiencies and fully comply with food safety and hygiene standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The agency also suspended the licence of the popular Poornima Restaurant in Fort after allegedly finding fungal growth on raw vegetables and bananas, as well as the use of non-food-grade plastic drums for storing pickles. The restaurant was allegedly storing raw, contaminated, and cooked food together, creating a serious risk of cross-contamination, the statement said.
The doors of the refrigeration units were also not closing properly, thereby compromising food temperature control. The FDA also found fish infestations, stagnant sewage, unclean drains, a lack of cockroach traps, and peeling paint and rust on the walls and ceiling in the kitchen area.
HT was unable to reach the establishments whose licences were suspended for their response.
During the latest drive from July 24-27, the FDA inspected 81 hotels, restaurants, and dhabas, serving improvement notices to 12 establishments and suspending the licenses of 11 others. It also seized 205 litres of milk and milk products worth ₹8,696, and arrested 22 people for selling, distributing and transporting banned pan masala and gutka worth over ₹46 lakh. Overall, the FDA seized food and other items worth over ₹1 crore during raids on 35 premises, the statement said.
