FSSAI Suspends Marche Retail License, Halts SDP Ghee Sales

Your next grocery run might look a little different as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken strict action against two major food businesses, directly impacting what’s available on shelves.

Marche Retail, known for its Le Marche stores, faces a 30-day license suspension starting immediately. This means they must halt all food business activities until serious non-compliance issues, identified during initial and follow-up inspections, are fully resolved and verified by authorities.

Inspections at Marche Retail revealed a host of problems, from shortcomings in design and operational controls to issues with sanitation and personal hygiene. Critical food safety documentation was not properly maintained, and essential medical records for food handlers were reportedly missing. A follow-up inspection showed the unit had an anemic overall compliance score of just 37%.

Meanwhile, SDP Industries has been hit with a prohibition order from FSSAI, halting the sale of all its ghee variants. This action comes amid serious concerns about non-compliant products and ongoing adulteration, meaning these items are now off the market for consumers.

Several ghee products from SDP Industries, including those under the SHRADDHA, SHREE SARAS, and GOKUL brands, were found to violate the FSS Act, 2006, and its regulations. FSSAI observed that these non-compliance issues were not isolated to a single batch or product, indicating a continuous and pervasive problem across different samples and timeframes.

These decisive actions by FSSAI underscore a heightened focus on ensuring food safety standards across the retail and manufacturing sectors, directly influencing consumer trust in everyday grocery items.