Iconic Café Mondegar loses licence over temperature and hygiene failures

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has pulled the operating licence of the 77-year-old Café Mondegar in Colaba after inspectors documented temperature-control failures, damaged flooring and cross-contamination risks during a September 12 visit, part of a festival-season sweep that has shuttered nine food businesses and seized banned stock worth over ₹20 lakh across Mumbai.

Temperature and hygiene breaches at iconic Colaba café

When FDA teams entered Café Mondegar at Metro House, Colaba, they found hot food stored below the mandatory 60°C threshold and cold items kept above the 5°C ceiling. Inspectors recorded improper thawing practices and failure to rapidly cool cooked preparations, while flooring near food-prep zones showed damp-induced damage and inadequate drainage that the agency said risked cross-contamination. The café also failed to properly clean and sanitise equipment, according to the inspection report.

Café Mondegar was one of four Mumbai restaurants and suppliers hit with licence suspensions. Maharashtra Biryani Center in Kandivali East, Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West and Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East were all inspected on September 11, with the FDA citing violations of food-safety requirements under Schedule 4 at each location.

Greater Mumbai drive nets 47 samples, two major seizures

The suspensions came within a concentrated four-day enforcement sweep across Greater Mumbai that ran from September 11 to 14. The FDA said it inspected 38 food establishments and collected 47 samples, including milk, khoya, ghee and sweets, for laboratory analysis during the operation.

At Ayush Milk Supplier in Andheri East, officers seized 23 kg of sweet burfi valued at ₹6,440 after collecting samples for testing. In Mulund West, Brijwasi Mithaiyan saw 225 kg of khoya worth ₹60,300 taken for analysis. Krishna Sweets and Snacks in Kanjurmarg East was fined ₹20,000 after inspectors documented deficiencies.

Banned-stock crackdown brings nine arrests, vehicle seizures

On September 12, a parallel crackdown targeting prohibited food products in Mumbai resulted in action against five establishments, with banned stock worth ₹20.21 lakh seized, one FIR registered and nine people arrested. The FDA also impounded five vehicles allegedly used to transport the prohibited items; the vehicles were collectively valued at ₹98 lakh.

Enforcement spreads to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati, Pune

The agency extended the festival-season enforcement drive beyond Mumbai. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division on September 15, the FDA seized prohibited food products worth ₹2.74 lakh along with a vehicle valued at ₹3 lakh, registered one FIR and arrested two people. In Amravati division, prohibited stock worth ₹23,200 was seized, resulting in one FIR and one arrest.

In Pune district, Deccan Cold Storages India Pvt Ltd in Bhor was inspected on September 15. Officers found 4,891.9 kg of pasteurised cooking butter worth ₹4.15 lakh and flagged alleged packaging and labelling violations.

On September 16 at the Charoti toll plaza in Palghar, the FDA seized 878 litres of colostrum valued at ₹1.05 lakh from a vehicle, stating the stock was being transported without labels, proper temperature control or hygienic storage conditions.

Statewide targeting of adulteration ahead of festival season

The FDA said the multi-district operation has focused on suspected adulteration, unhygienic storage, improper labelling and banned products in the lead-up to the festival season. The enforcement actions were published on September 18, 2026.

Source: The Hindu