Mumbai’s Poornima Restaurant Seeks Relief After FDA Action

Poornima Restaurant, the six-decade-old Udupi restaurant located in Mumbai's Fort area, has approached the Bombay High Court challenging the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to suspend its licence following an inspection that identified food safety and hygiene violations.

The restaurant has sought an interim stay on the suspension order and permission to resume operations. In its petition, filed through proprietor Pramod J Nayak, the restaurant alleged that the FDA did not follow the prescribed procedure before taking action and described the suspension as "arbitrary and disproportionate."

According to the petition, the restaurant claims the FDA failed to issue an improvement notice before suspending its licence. It further alleged that official communications relating to the inspection were sent after the raid and claimed that the authority acted in a "high-handed manner." The restaurant stated that the suspension has "severely affected" its business and livelihood.

The FDA conducted a surprise inspection at Poornima Restaurant on July 23, following which it reported multiple violations of food safety and hygiene regulations. According to the regulator, the findings posed a significant public health concern.

During the inspection, officials allegedly found contaminated raw materials stored alongside cooked and frozen food products. The inspection report also cited the presence of flies, stagnant water, dirty drains without cockroach traps, peeling paint, rust and unhygienic kitchen conditions.

One of the key observations highlighted by the FDA was fungal growth on stored raw vegetables, including bananas used in the preparation of the restaurant's banana vada.

An FDA official stated, "Considering the fact that idli and dosa batter is acidic in nature, fungal infestation in the kitchen may cause serious health hazards."

The case comes amid wider scrutiny of food safety compliance within the hospitality sector, where regulators have intensified inspections of food establishments. The High Court is expected to examine whether the FDA followed due process before suspending the restaurant's licence while also considering the food safety concerns raised during the inspection.