Mumbai's iconic Rustom Ice Cream near Churchgate has been ordered to shut after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended its licence over alleged food safety and hygiene violations. According to News 18 Marathi, the action was taken during a surprise inspection under the FDA's 'Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra' campaign launched under the direction of FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The outlet will remain closed until laboratory reports on seized food samples are received. The FDA said inspectors found serious hygiene deficiencies at the popular ice cream parlour, prompting immediate suspension of its licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
During the inspection, officials reported spotting live rats and flies inside the premises and alleged that the establishment failed to maintain the required cold chain for storing ice cream. The FDA seized and destroyed several expired artificial flavouring agents and essences, including pista, pineapple, strawberry, black currant and rum Jamaica flavours, to prevent their use in food preparation. The agency also collected official ice cream samples for laboratory testing. Previous external laboratory reports had found the product contained 7.94% fat, below the 10% minimum fat content prescribed for ice cream under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms.
According to an exclusive interview with NDTV Profit, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced that Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration is actively monitoring and taking action against hospital pharmacies that compel patients to purchase medicines only from in-house or affiliated outlets. The practice, common at several private hospitals, restricts patients from sourcing medicines from cheaper, independent pharmacies, effectively locking them into paying premium prices for the same drugs. As reported by NDTV Profit, this behaviour now falls squarely within the FDA's enforcement focus alongside checks on unlicensed pharmacy operations more broadly.
According to the interview, the FDA's enforcement efforts extend beyond hospital pharmacy practices to include a wider crackdown on spurious drugs and unlicensed pharmacies across the state. According to NDTV Profit, the department is actively monitoring the drug sector alongside its food safety mandate, with Mundhe indicating that the FDA is taking action against spurious drugs and unlicensed pharmacies, particularly those in hospitals that force patients to buy exclusive prescriptions. The commissioner emphasized that the department is monitoring the drug sector closely as part of their regulatory responsibilities.
According to NDTV Profit, Mundhe's comments come as the Maharashtra FDA has sharply escalated enforcement activity across the state, with over 900 raids conducted and material worth close to ₹34 crore seized in a single month. The commissioner has maintained that his approach applies uniformly, regardless of the size or standing of the business involved, stating that regulators must act "impartially, equitably, and proportionately, without favouring or fearing anybody." His enforcement efforts have included major operations such as the recent bust of a synthetic milk racket involving 13 arrests and material worth more than ₹2 crore.
