Mumbai
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Mumbai’s iconic Kyani Café, which has been serving customers for more than a century, has been ordered to stop food-related operations after a Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection found serious hygiene and food safety lapses at the establishment.
The 122-year-old café in Kalbadevi was inspected as part of the FDA’s ongoing checks on hotels, restaurants and other food businesses across Maharashtra. Following the inspection, the department suspended the café’s food licence with immediate effect.
Maharashtra FDA suspended the food licence for Mumbai’s 122-year-old Kyani Café in Kalbadevi due to serious hygiene and food safety violations, including pests and poor sanitation, ordering an immediate halt to its food operations.
The inspection raised several concerns about the conditions in which food was being prepared and stored.
According to the FDA, cats and live flies were found in the food preparation and storage areas, while dead cockroaches were also spotted on the premises.
Inspectors also found a large amount of blood inside a refrigerator. An open sewer manhole was found in the processing area, adding to concerns over sanitation at the café.
The FDA said food was found lying directly on the floor, while raw flour had been covered with newspaper. The department also pointed to poor hygiene practices among staff.
The findings were considered serious enough for the FDA to treat the conditions as an immediate risk to consumers.
Following the inspection, the FDA suspended the establishment’s FSSAI licence under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Kyani Café has been directed to stop procuring, preparing, processing, storing, selling and distributing food products with immediate effect.
The premises will also be monitored by the authorities to check whether the directions are being followed.
The action against Kyani Café comes amid a wider food safety drive being carried out across Maharashtra ahead of the festive season.
Between September 23 and 27, the Maharashtra FDA said it suspended the licences of 30 food establishments and seized 50,601.78 kg of food stock valued at around Rs 1.19 crore.
Mumbai accounted for 13 of the suspended licences, while six establishments in the Konkan division, eight in the Pune division and three in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division also faced action.
The FDA said several establishments, including Kyani & Co, Colaba Sweet Mart, Arun Vilas Farsan, Ruchi Veg Restaurant, Daffodils Fast Food Inn and Subway, were found to have allegedly violated food safety and hygiene requirements.
The licences of Arun Vilas Farsan in Dharavi and Ruchi Veg Restaurant in Parel were suspended over hygiene and sanitation-related violations, the department said.
The FDA has also initiated legal proceedings against QSR Brands India, Royal China, Tiffin, United Bakery & Stores, Shree Padmavati Enterprises and Hotel Purandar Vilas for alleged violations under food safety laws.
Daffodils Fast Food Inn in Vile Parle was another establishment that came under the FDA’s action.
According to the department, inspectors found dirty refrigeration equipment, non-functional temperature displays and food stored alongside the personal belongings of workers.
The latest inspections are part of the FDA’s statewide festive-season drive, with officials checking food establishments for hygiene, storage and handling practices.
