Enforcement action by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has covered multiple food businesses found to be in breach of hygiene standards, regulatory requirements, and rules governing health-related product claims. Among those subject to the action are the e-commerce platforms BigBasket and Flipkart, along with the company that operates the Radisson Blu Hotel in New Delhi.
Notices targeting the marketing of Freedom Cooking Rice Bran Oil on e-commerce platforms and social media were dispatched by FSSAI to three parties — Gemini Edibles & Fats India Limited, BigBasket, and Flipkart India Private Limited. Marketing materials for the product featured phrases such as "reduces bad cholesterol and maintains/increases good cholesterol" and "10,000+ PPM Natural Oryzanol," positioning the product as an aid for cholesterol regulation and cardiovascular wellbeing.
Under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, FSSAI determined that edible vegetable oils — rice bran oil among them — do not qualify for cholesterol or heart-health labelling under the framework those rules establish. Investigators from the authority also noted that Gemini Edibles & Fats India Limited had been operating an e-commerce channel through its own website to sell food products, yet no valid Central Licence covering that type of online trading activity appeared to be in place.
A show-cause notice has been issued to the firms, asking them to address why proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — along with its associated rules and regulations — ought not to be brought against them.
Food safety regulators served AB Hotels Limited — the operator of New Delhi's Radisson Blu Hotel — with a formal improvement notice following an on-site inspection that identified a number of hygiene and food safety concerns. Inspectors found the site operating with a range of upkeep failures — corroded machinery, leaking freezer units, and deficiencies spanning refrigeration performance, temperature controls, air circulation, floor surfaces, and lighting provision.
Among the violations recorded during the inspection were pooled water, blocked drainage, accumulated food waste, evidence of cockroach and fly activity, along with surfaces and equipment that had not been properly cleaned or sanitised. Auditors also flagged weaknesses in how the facility sourced food and maintained supplier documentation, noting that rotting and mould-affected produce had been accepted into stock.
Inspections to verify the suitability of cooking oil were not conducted as mandated, and two separate oil samples recovered from the hotel's NYC kitchen registered total polar compound readings of 31 and 24.4 respectively. Inspectors also flagged a failure to keep raw and cooked products apart, with vegetarian items mixed alongside non-vegetarian ones and allergenic ingredients stored without separation from non-allergenic food.
Inspectors noted that a number of food handlers lacked protective gear — no gloves, no hairnets — and were observed on duty with jewellery and uncut nails. Authorities ordered the property to carry out remedial measures without delay and furnish a comprehensive report on steps taken, backed by relevant documents and photographs where available. The regulator's notice stated that non-compliance could trigger additional measures, up to and including revocation of the operating licence.
A food safety inspection of DNV Food Products Limited turned up hygiene and compliance concerns that led FSSAI to suspend the company's operating licence. Inspectors found production, packaging, and storage areas operating under conditions that fell below hygiene requirements, with evidence of pooled water, cobwebs, flies, and insufficient cleaning routines. A single fly was observed resting in direct contact with the papad.
Inspectors observed staff preparing and packaging food products without protective gloves or masks, and noted that neither handwashing stations nor sanitation equipment were accessible on the premises. Among the violations logged during the inspection were oxidation and corrosion on food-handling machinery, deteriorated floor surfaces, moisture-affected walls, paint lifting from surfaces, and ventilation and lighting systems that fell below required standards.
Investigators also noted that raw materials, packaging supplies, and finished goods had been held under storage conditions that fell short of required standards, including placement directly on floors or against walls. The regulator's review additionally identified instances where goods were being processed and repacked by operators who lacked the necessary endorsement on their licence. Paperwork covering food-grade packaging certification, migration testing outcomes, and mock recall procedures was not present at the facility.
All food-related operations authorised under the company's licence are subject to the ban, which remains in place pending a future directive.
Jhanvitanni's operating licence was terminated by FSSAI, with the regulator citing the company's failure to meet food safety standards and its continued trading after a prior suspension had already been put in place. Inspectors found hygiene and sanitation shortfalls at the location, with records showing the business had kept trading despite directions from the regulator to cease operations.
A review of the remediation plan put forward by the company found that several of the flagged breaches had gone unresolved. Regulators at FSSAI pointed to ongoing shortfalls in hygiene practices, sanitation standards, and Food Safety Management System obligations — among them the requirement for a third-party audit — that persisted after multiple directives and enforcement steps had been taken. An order requiring the firm to halt all food-related operations covered under the revoked licence has been issued.
