The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of Mumbai-based Parsi Dairy Farm Pvt Ltd after finding serious food safety and hygiene violations, officials said on Thursday.

The crackdown on the popular chain was part of a statewide enforcement drive in which food products worth more than Rs 1.90 crore were seized, they added.

Inspections at Parsi Dairy Farm Pvt Ltd’s Princess Street unit in south Mumbai revealed multiple violations of Food Safety and Standards Act and related regulations, prompting the immediate suspension of its FSSAI licence, the FDA said in a statement.

Inspectors found unhygienic conditions, including a damaged raw milk reception dock, cracks in storage and production areas, improper storage of raw materials and finished products, heavy infestation of flies, broken flooring and drainage and absence of an effluent treatment plant, it said.

The FDA team also found incomplete medical records of food handlers, inadequate protective gear for workers, poor vehicle sanitation records and missing mandatory ‘Best Before/Use By/Expiry Date’ information on several products, officials said.

“The deficiencies posed a serious risk of microbial contamination and public health hazards. The unit is prohibited from manufacturing, storing, selling or distributing food products until further orders and legal action under Food Safety and Standards Act has been initiated,” the FDA said.

The action against Parsi Dairy formed part of a special statewide inspection campaign conducted on July 14 and 15, during which the FDA inspected dairy units, food manufacturers, restaurants and vendors across Maharashtra, officials said.

“The drive led to seizure of 2,317 litres of milk, 30 litres of refined oil meant for buffaloes and 6,849.25 kg of dairy products valued at Rs 45.78 lakh. The agency also seized prohibited food products worth Rs 1.36 crore, other food items worth Rs 53.90 lakh. Improvement notices were issued to 27 establishments after inspecting 57 hotels, restaurants and eateries in the state,” the statement said.

The FDA also raided a unit in Akola allegedly manufacturing banned food products and seized stock worth about Rs 1.23 crore. It also registered cases against vendors selling banned gutkha and pan masala in Mumbai, Jalgaon and other districts.

In Goregaon, officials seized 822 milk pouches containing 558 litres of milk suspected to have been tampered with. The FDA officials destroyed material worth Rs 39,593, the statement said.

At Govandi, 1,683 litres of loose pasteurised buffalo milk valued at over Rs 1.07 lakh was destroyed after inspectors found it stored and sold in violation of labelling norms, it added.

The agency also seized 61.25 kg of dairy products, including cheese blends and mozzarella cheese, from a food establishment in Mulund over labelling violations and suspected use of cheese analogue. Its market value is Rs 19,759.

In Palghar, food products worth about Rs 32.11 lakh were seized from another Parsi Dairy Farm unit over suspected misbranding and sub-standard quality, while 151 kg of paneer was seized from Vasai based Shiv dairy operating without mandatory registration, the FDA said.