FSSAI suspends licences of VKC Nuts, Chheda Specialities over food safety violations
New Delhi, Aug 8
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Saturday said that it suspended the licences of VKC Nuts Private Ltd in Uttar Pradesh and Chheda Specialities Foods Pvt Ltd in Maharashtra with immediate effect after inspections revealed serious food safety and hygiene violations.
Taking to the social media platform X, the food regulator said the action was taken in the interest of public health and food safety following the detection of critical non-compliances at the two facilities.
At VKC Nuts, inspectors found live insects in pistachios stored in the finished goods area, extensive mould and fungal growth in the raw material storage section, rodent droppings across the premises and signs of pest damage to stored food products.
The inspection also revealed the use of rusted and damaged machinery, poor sanitation conditions, ineffective pest-control measures and inadequate segregation of raw materials, work-in-progress inventory and finished goods.
According to the FSSAI, some raw material cartons lacked batch numbers and manufacturing or expiry details, while expired cranberry stock was found stored in a finished goods area.
The regulator said the overall compliance score of the unit was recorded at 38 per cent, indicating significant deficiencies in its food safety management system that could pose a grave risk to public health.
"The FSSAI Licence of VKC Nuts Private Limited has been partially suspended with immediate effect under the FSS Act, 2006, in the interest of public health and food safety, until further orders," it said.
In the case of Chheda Specialities Foods, the regulator cited unhygienic food handling practices, including workers mixing besan dough with bare hands and handling food near decomposing waste.
The inspection also found fungal growth around edible oil storage tanks, inadequate waste management systems, roof leakages, stagnant water, damaged flooring and ineffective pest-control arrangements.
FSSAI said raw materials and packaging materials were being stored directly on wet and dusty floors, while several food containers lacked proper labels and traceability details.
The regulator further noted that multiple food samples collected during earlier inspections had been declared "unsafe" or "misbranded", with legal proceedings in those cases still ongoing.
The facility recorded a compliance score of 42 per cent, reflecting significant shortcomings in food safety and hygiene practices, it added.
FSSAI said the licence of Chheda Specialities Foods has been suspended until the company undertakes comprehensive corrective measures, including improvements in sanitation, pest control, waste management, infrastructure maintenance and staff training, and demonstrates compliance with food safety regulations.
The regulator said it will continue strict enforcement across food sectors to safeguard consumer health and ensure compliance with food safety standards.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of food companies operating with similar conditions. The compliance score of 38% and 42% shows how negligent these companies are. We need surprise inspections, not scheduled ones where they can clean up beforehand. Good step by FSSAI but much more needs to be done.
I'm genuinely scared now. These are established brands that we see in every supermarket. "Besi and food near decomposing waste" - that's just unacceptable. In our country where food safety is already a big concern, companies like these are playing with our lives. FSSAI should name and shame all such defaulters publicly and impose heavy fines.
Impressed that Indian regulators are cracking down on food safety violations. Back home in the US, we've had our fair share of similar issues with food companies. The problem is universal, but the enforcement often isn't strong enough. This suspension of licences sends a strong message. Hopefully it's followed by criminal prosecutions where appropriate.
भगवान बचाए इनसे! 🙏 I bought VKC pistachios for Diwali last year. Now I'm worried about what we consumed. Regulations are fine on paper but enforcement is weak. FSSAI needs to increase the frequency of inspections and publish reports regularly. We consumers have a right to know which companies maintain hygiene standards. Also, these packaged food items need to be tested more rigorously - we can't trust just any label.
While I appreciate FSSAI's action, I'm concerned about the partial suspension. If the products are contaminated with insects
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