FSSAI Suspends Delhi Retailer, Orders Ghee Producer to Halt Sales
By Business Desk
FSSAI suspends Marche Retail in Delhi for hygiene lapses and orders SDP Industries in Daman to halt sales of adulterated ghee. Learn about food safety violations.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated significant enforcement actions against two companies for critical food safety and product compliance violations. Marche Retail Private Limited in New Delhi faced a license suspension, while SDP Industries Private Limited in Daman received a prohibition order.
Marche Retail’s Operational and Hygiene Failures
Inspections at Marche Retail led to a 30-day suspension of its license due to numerous operational and hygiene deficiencies. The retailer’s compliance score stood at a concerning 37%, classifying it under “Non-Compliance.”
Auditors observed poor sanitation and inadequate personal hygiene among food handlers, who also lacked proper training. Issues extended to operational controls and the establishment’s design.
Further lapses included missing mandatory medical records for food handlers and insufficient segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian products. An unauthorized commercial kitchen operated without a valid FSSAI license.
SDP Industries’ Ghee Adulteration Findings
For SDP Industries, the FSSAI issued a prohibition order following laboratory tests on its ghee products. These tests revealed the presence of beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol not typically found in pure ghee, alongside an irregular fatty-acid composition.
These findings strongly suggested the potential presence of foreign or vegetable fats in the ghee. A Referral Food Laboratory re-confirmed the initial results after the company challenged them.
The FSSAI’s action targeted brands including Shraddha, Shree Saras, and Gokul, based on repeated violations identified across multiple samples and product variants. SDP Industries has been ordered to immediately cease the sale of all its ghee products.
These enforcement actions underscore the FSSAI’s commitment to upholding food safety standards and ensuring consumer protection across the nation. Such decisive regulatory interventions are crucial for maintaining public trust in food products.