FSSAI Suspends Marche Retail, Bans SDP Ghee Amid Food Safety Crackdown

India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has suspended the license of Marche Retail Pvt Ltd for 30 days and prohibited Daman-based SDP Industries Pvt Ltd from selling all its ghee variants. These stringent actions come as part of a broader crackdown on food safety and compliance across the nation. The regulator cited serious violations in both cases, underscoring its commitment to enforcing food safety standards.

Marche Retail’s Operational Deficiencies

FSSAI’s inspection in New Delhi revealed significant operational and hygiene lapses at Marche Retail Pvt Ltd. The company must cease all food business activities immediately and address these critical issues within the suspension period.

• Deficiencies in establishment design
• Issues with operational controls
• Poor sanitation and personal hygiene
• Lack of food-handler training
• Failure in mandatory record-keeping

SDP Industries Ghee Adulteration

SDP Industries Pvt Ltd, based in Daman, faces a complete ban on its ghee products, including popular brands like Shraddha, Shree Saras, and Gokul. This prohibition follows enforcement inspections and laboratory analysis that found the products non-compliant with the FSS Act, 2006.

Laboratory tests specifically detected A-sitosterol, a plant sterol that should be absent in pure ghee, and identified non-conformity in fatty-acid composition. These findings indicate clear adulteration with foreign or vegetable fats, raising serious public health concerns.

Broader Regulatory Enforcement

Beyond these two specific cases, FSSAI has intensified its enforcement efforts against a wide array of food business operators across India. The regulator has issued numerous notices and taken decisive actions against major brands, e-commerce platforms, and food service establishments.

• Over 150 notices to major brands (Nestle India, PepsiCo, Abbott India Ltd, Red Bull India, Danone India, Monster Energy India Pvt Ltd, Hell Energy Pvt Ltd, Mondelez India, Coca-Cola India, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Ferrero India, Kenvue Inc) for misleading advertisements and labeling non-compliance.
• 12 notices to e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, leading to the cancellation of one Amazon warehouse license.
• Over 30 notices to food service establishments (KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Costa Coffee), resulting in the suspension of five Domino’s licenses.

Many of the implicated companies have reportedly initiated corrective actions in response to these regulatory interventions. FSSAI’s consistent actions underscore a firm stance on ensuring food safety and regulatory adherence nationwide.