Maharashtra FDA suspends Cafe Mondegar licence over food safety lapses

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the licences of Cafe Mondegar and three other food businesses on Tuesday after regulatory inspections uncovered significant breaches of food safety protocols. Officials inspected Cafe Mondegar at Metro House in Colaba on September 12 and documented critical deficiencies in temperature maintenance and sanitation practices that posed health risks to consumers.

Inspectors found that hot food was not being maintained at the prescribed minimum temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, while cold storage facilities failed to maintain temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius as required by regulations. The inspection also identified improper food thawing procedures, inadequate rapid cooling of cooked food, and structural deficiencies that increased the risk of cross-contamination between different food items.

Beyond Cafe Mondegar, the FDA action extended to three other establishments: Maharashtra Biryani Centre in Kandivali East, Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West, and Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East. All four suspensions were issued following violations of Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which sets mandatory hygiene and operational standards for food businesses across India.