FSSAI suspends licences of three food businesses over safety violations

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday suspended the licences of three food businesses over alleged misleading claims, poor hygiene and serious breaches of food-safety regulations.

The action was taken against Meghalaya-based A.B. Enterprise and two Odisha firms, Zaiqaa Organixs (OPC) Private Limited and Narayani Foods and Beverages. All three licences were suspended with immediate effect following inspections and regulatory proceedings.

In a post on X, FSSAI said A.B. Enterprise had made health-benefit claims on product labels and promotional material in violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.

The regulator also found that the company was undertaking food-related operations without the manufacturing endorsement required under its licence.

An improvement notice was issued and the firm was given an opportunity to present its case at a personal hearing. However, FSSAI said it received neither a response nor any further communication from the business.

The authority described the violations as serious and said the claims could mislead consumers and influence their purchasing decisions. The company has been directed to stop all food business operations until further orders.

In a separate case, Zaiqaa Organixs lost its licence after inspectors reported extensive hygiene and sanitation deficiencies at its manufacturing facility.

Food was allegedly being manufactured, packaged and stored in unhygienic conditions. Inspectors also flagged poor housekeeping, pest-control concerns, rusted equipment, improper storage and inadequate controls over production processes.

Some raw materials and finished products did not display essential information such as manufacturing dates, batch numbers and use-by dates, the regulator said.

The unit scored 10 out of 90, or 12 per cent, in its compliance assessment and was placed in the non-compliance category. FSSAI said the conditions raised the possibility of physical, chemical and biological contamination that could make the food unsafe.

Narayani Foods and Beverages also had its licence suspended after inspectors identified what the regulator described as grossly unhygienic processing conditions and significant weaknesses in its food-safety management system.

The inspection found poor sanitation, possible pest-entry points, algae near water facilities and the presence of flies and cobwebs in processing and storage areas. Corroded equipment, improper storage of finished products and accumulated waste in food-handling areas were also reported.

FSSAI further noted inadequate record-keeping and the absence of documents relating to food-safety training and retained control samples.

The company received a compliance score of 20 out of 80, or 25 per cent, placing it in the non-compliance category. FSSAI said its licence had been suspended immediately because the violations could endanger public health and food safety.

With IANS inputs