Rats in kitchen, toaster atop dustbin: FDA suspends Mumbai restaurant licence

Mumbai's Hotel Radha in Malad West had its food licence suspended after an FDA inspection found rats, cockroaches, open drains, stagnant water, dirty utensils and other serious hygiene violations.

In Short

• Kitchen had open drains, dirty utensils, rust, and poor food storage
• FDA seized food worth Rs 25 lakh and suspended licences in recent inspections
• Food safety inspections intensified across Maharashtra amid rising violations

Food safety concerns have once again come under scrutiny in Mumbai after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found serious hygiene violations in the kitchen of Hotel Radha in Mumbai's Malad West. Following the inspection, the FDA suspended the restaurant’s food business licence with immediate effect.

During the action on August 18, officials found live rats and cockroaches inside the kitchen. Inspectors reportedly spotted some rats near the ceiling, while others were found entering the kitchen through an open drainage system. The kitchen drains were open and in poor condition, providing direct access for rodents and insects.

The violations extended beyond the presence of pests. Officials found cockroaches on equipment used to prepare food. They also recorded thick layers of oil and grease in the kitchen, foul smells caused by stagnant water, dirty counters and utensils, and negligence in the storage of food items.

The inspection also found a toaster placed on top of an open dustbin. Some food items were stored amid dust and dirt, while several utensils showed signs of rust.

The findings pointed to problems not only with cleanliness but also with the overall system used to prepare, store and handle food at the establishment.

The FDA has intensified food safety inspections across Maharashtra. Recent inspections have found serious hygiene violations at several hotels, restaurants and other food establishments in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state. In one recent action, officials inspected 31 establishments, seized food products worth around Rs 25 lakh and suspended five food business licences.

The action against Hotel Radha also raises questions about how seriously food establishments monitor routine cleanliness and food safety in kitchens where meals are prepared for customers.

Customers often choose restaurants based on their appearance, menus and taste. However, food safety ultimately depends on conditions inside the kitchen, which generally remain out of customers' sight.

In the Hotel Radha case, the FDA invoked Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and ordered the immediate stoppage of activities related to the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of food.

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