FSSAI Cracks Down: Marche Retail License Suspended, Ghee Sales Halted!

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is intensifying its crackdown on food businesses across the country, recently suspending the license of M/S Marche Retail Private Limited in Delhi for 30 days and issuing a prohibition order against M/S SDP Industries Private Limited, based in Daman, for selling adulterated ghee. Marche Retail's license suspension comes after an inspection revealed numerous shortcomings in their food safety practices.

Violations included deficiencies in the design and upkeep of their premises, operational procedures, sanitation, staff hygiene, employee training, and the maintenance of mandatory records. The FSSAI has ordered Marche Retail to cease all food-related operations during the 30-day period and address these critical issues before resuming business. Meanwhile, SDP Industries faces a sales prohibition for its ghee products.

Laboratory tests of ghee samples, sold under the brands Shraddha, Shree Saras, and Gokul, detected A-sitosterol, a plant-based sterol that should not be present in genuine ghee.

The tests also found irregularities in the product's fatty-acid profile, suggesting the possible presence of vegetable or other foreign fats.

This raises serious concerns about compliance and product safety.

SDP Industries has been instructed to stop selling any ghee manufactured, stored, or marketed from its authorized premises until further notice. These actions are part of a broader, ongoing initiative by the FSSAI, which has significantly widened its scrutiny of restaurants, retailers, and consumer brands.

In recent weeks, major chains including KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks, and Monginis have faced regulatory inspections.

Quick-commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart have also come under the scanner, highlighting the FSSAI's commitment to ensuring food safety and quality across the entire supply chain. #FSSAI #FoodSafety #ConsumerAlert