Tukaram Mundhe's team raids Cafe Mondegar in Mumbai, licence suspended over safety lapses

The Maharashtra FDA suspended Cafe Mondegar's licence after finding food safety and hygiene lapses, including improper food temperatures, thawing and cooling methods, inadequate drainage and poor equipment sanitation.

In Short

• Inspectors found hot food below 60°C and cold storage above limits
• Improper thawing and delayed cooling of cooked food were also observed
• Moisture-damaged flooring and poor drainage raised cross-contamination risks near kitchens

Mumbai's food icon Cafe Mondegar has come into the crosshairs of the Tukaram Mundhe-led Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA carried out a raid and suspended the licence of the nearly century-old establishment over food safety and hygiene deficiencies were found during an inspection. Established in 1932 as an Irani cafe, the Colaba-based restaurant has over the years become a food institution in Mumbai. It is particularly known for the cartoons on its walls painted by the legendary cartoonist Mario Miranda.

During its raid, the FDA found that hot food items inside the colonial-era restaurant were not being maintained at the required temperature of above 60°C, while cold storage temperatures were not being kept below 5°C.

Improper thawing methods and failure to rapidly cool cooked food as required were also observed during the inspection.

The inspection, conducted by a team led by FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe, also found moisture-related damage to the flooring. The drainage system near the food preparation area was inadequate, creating a risk of cross-contamination.

The FDA further found that equipment was not being properly cleaned and sanitised.

FESTIVAL FOOD SAFETY DRIVE

Mundhe and his team have intensified inspections and raids at restaurants, eateries, hotels and sweet shops across Maharashtra during the ongoing Ganpati Utsav.

Earlier on Tuesday, the FDA seized 30 litres of liquid milk and 4,138.7 kg of dairy and sweet products, including khoya, paneer, ghee, peda, halwa, shrikhand, butter and milk powder, worth more than Rs 15.5 lakh across the state.

The FDA also carried out a crackdown against banned food items in Jalna district, where goods worth Rs 1.35 crore were seized.

In Greater Mumbai, the FDA has also been conducting hotel inspections and taking action against banned food items as part of its festival drive.

FOOD SAFETY AT GANESH MANDALS

Ahead of Ganeshotsav, the FDA's Greater Mumbai unit organised awareness workshops for office-bearers and workers of various Ganesh mandals to ensure that prasad and mahaprasad distributed to devotees are prepared and served in a safe, clean and hygienic manner.

A total of five workshops were held at various locations, with 320 Ganesh mandal office-bearers and members of related organisations participating.

The FDA, in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), also organised a special training workshop titled 'Sweetness of Modak, with the Assurance of Food Safety' for representatives of around 110 self-help groups involved in making modaks.

At these workshops, FDA Assistant Commissioners (Food) and Food Safety Officers provided guidance on compliance with Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with emphasis on Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

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