A complaint over a dead fly allegedly found in a glass of buttermilk triggered an FDA inspection, leading to the sealing of the BMC HQ canteen.
Published: July 23, 2026, 4:25 PM IST
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sealed the canteen at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters on Thursday after serious food safety and hygiene violations were found during an inspection. Following complaints over substandard food and unhygienic conditions at the canteen, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe directed officials to take action. The facility serves thousands of BMC staff and visitors every day, according to media reports.
Five-hour inspection reveals hygiene violations
According to officials, the FDA launched a detailed inspection of the canteen following the complaint. The inspection lasted nearly five hours and reportedly uncovered serious lapses in cleanliness and violations of food safety norms. After the violations came to light, the FDA ordered Kamal Caterers to stop running the canteen and issued a Stop Business Notice with immediate effect.
According to the report, a customer found a dead fly in a glass of buttermilk served at the canteen. The controversy deepened after a fried plastic thread was allegedly discovered in an onion bhaji. According to media reports, the incidents angered both BMC employees and visitors. The issue was later raised in the BMC General Body meeting, with several corporators expressing concern over the poor quality of food and unhygienic conditions at the canteen, which caters to nearly 7,000–8,000 employees daily.
Food safety crackdown
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) cracks down on misleading health benefit claims by food and beverage brands. Over the past two weeks, FSSAI has issued notices to multiple brands over claims such as ‘healthy’, ‘no added sugar’, ‘fresh’, ‘protein-packed’ and ‘100% natural’, prompting some to quickly revise their labels, packaging and advertising.
Also Read | 100% Label Ban: How will FSSAI’s decision affect popular brands from July? Is it beneficial for consumers?
The Whole Truth, a direct-to-consumer food brand, recently changed its packaging after receiving a similar notice. The company replaced the “no added sugar” claim with “sweetened with dates”, as FSSAI does not allow products containing date syrup, honey or fruit concentrates to carry such claims.
