Pune’s well-known Burger King outlet in Camp has been sealed following an inspection by Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which identified serious shortcomings in hygiene and compliance with food-safety requirements.

Located on East Street, the restaurant has been operating since 1992 and is one of the city’s older Burger King outlets. The action was taken during a broader enforcement campaign being conducted across Maharashtra under the ‘Safe Food, Safe Drug, Safe Maharashtra’ initiative.

FDA INSPECTION DRIVE COVERS 86 ESTABLISHMENTS

The statewide operation on August 13 covered 86 establishments, including food businesses as well as facilities connected with quick-commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart.

According to the FDA, authorities ordered one establishment to stop functioning immediately and issued 60 improvement notices. Fourteen food-business licences were also suspended.

Among those facing licence suspension were five Blinkit facilities, five Zepto facilities and two Instamart facilities. Bhagwati Store and Swinsta ENT Pvt Ltd also faced suspension.

Inspectors also reported finding cockroaches around racks used to keep packaged food at one of the premises inspected during the drive.

MILK PRODUCTS AND OTHER FOOD ITEMS SEIZED

The enforcement action was not limited to hygiene checks.

FDA teams confiscated 698 kg of milk and milk-based products, with a stated value of Rs 34,302. A further 1,270 kg of food products, including dairy items, bakery products and edible oil, was seized, with the value estimated at around Rs 1.29 lakh.

Officials also stepped up action against prohibited products such as gutkha and pan masala. Ten FIRs were registered over their sale, transportation and distribution, while nine people were arrested.

Banned products worth approximately Rs 46.76 lakh were seized. The combined value of the seized banned and other food products was reported at nearly Rs 46.9 lakh.

109 HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND DHABAS ALSO CHECKED

The FDA's campaign also included inspections of hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries.

A total of 109 establishments in this category were inspected. Officials issued improvement notices to 49 of them, while four had their food licences suspended.

The Pune division conducted a separate round of inspections between August 11 and 14, covering restaurants, hotels, dairies and e-commerce-related food facilities.

The department said the licences or registrations of 16 establishments were suspended immediately after inspectors detected significant hygiene and food-safety shortcomings.

Besides the Camp Burger King, establishments facing action included Hotel Sayaji in Lonavala, Hotel Chul Mutton in Lohegaon, Simply South in Bhosari, Hotel Pawan in Kolhapur, Rajesh Chinese in Sangli, and Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut outlets in Karad.

A canteen operated by JBM Hospitality at an HDFC Bank facility in Wanwadi was also ordered to stop functioning over an alleged lack of the required food licence.

BLINKIT, ZEPTO FACILITIES ALSO FAIL INSPECTIONS

The FDA's scrutiny extended to the rapidly expanding quick-commerce sector, where food products are stored and handled before being delivered to customers.

A Blinkit facility in Ghatkopar and a Zepto facility in Lokhandwala were among the premises declared non-compliant.

At the Zepto warehouse, inspectors identified problems involving temperature management for perishable products, arrangements for frozen food, warehouse organisation and the separation of food products from non-food and hazardous materials.

The findings underline that food-safety enforcement is increasingly covering not just restaurants and shops but also warehouses used by online delivery businesses.

FDA SIGNALS MORE ACTION AGAINST VIOLATORS

The Maharashtra FDA has indicated that establishments failing to meet prescribed safety and hygiene requirements could face a range of regulatory measures.

These include notices directing businesses to correct deficiencies, suspension of food licences and orders requiring establishments to halt operations.

For Pune’s Camp Burger King, the latest action means the outlet will remain shut following the FDA inspection and suspension of its food licence. The development comes as Maharashtra continues its wider campaign to tighten scrutiny of food businesses and facilities handling food products.