Maharashtra FDA suspends Parle Agro's licence after expired Frooti, Appy found in Chembur godown

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licence of M/s Parle Agro following the discovery of expired Frooti, Appy and Apple Fizz products at their Chembur warehouse. The seized inventory, valued at ₹99,970, was found during a routine inspection conducted by the FDA. This decision is part of the agency's ongoing campaign to target various food establishments, including restaurants, hotels, dhabas, bakeries, and online food platforms, across the state.

The FDA chief, Tukaram Mundhe, has been overseeing this initiative since May 2025. Thus far, the FDA has inspected 109 hotels, restaurants, and dhabas, issuing 49 improvement notices and suspending four food-business licenses. Additionally, the agency has recently conducted inspections on quick-commerce food delivery outlets, uncovering several hygiene issues, such as cockroaches, expired chicken, rotten vegetables, rodent droppings, and food packets stored on dirty floors.

The FDA also suspended the licences of 10 food delivery chains, including Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart, following inspections of 86 outlets, resulting in improvement notices, suspensions, and an immediate closure order for one outlet.