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The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to be "fair, impartial and uniform" in its drive concerning hotels and eateries, including those in government and semi-government establishments, the Bombay High Court noted on Friday, questioning the agency's "98 per cent clean" certificate to the Mantralaya canteen. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad ordered a team of four lawyers to immediately visit and inspect the Mantralaya canteen and report to the court in the afternoon on the situation there. Within hours of the directive, the FDA, accompanied by lawyers, inspected the canteen at the state secretariat to check for hygiene and food safety standards. Earlier in the day, the FDA submitted to the court a chart detailing all eateries and canteens, including the three on the high court premises and at Mantralaya, as well as private clubs across the city. According to the chart, the Mantralaya canteen received a 98 per cent cleanliness
Maharashtra FDA has banned the sale of processed and packaged foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt within 50 metres of school compounds, and the order will be implemented strictly, FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said on Wednesday. He said every school kitchen operator and food supplier to schools should have licenses under food safety regulations. He said the sale, advertisement and free distribution of high-fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food items are prohibited in and around all schools in the state as part of efforts to promote healthy eating habits among children. "Within school premises and up to 50 metres from the school compound, the sale, advertisement and free distribution of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food items is completely banned by the FDA. It will be implemented strictly," Mundhe told reporters here. He said the state government had issued a compliance order on July 27 to enforce food safety and nutritional standards across educational institutions, adding
Pune district has reported the highest number of complaints about unhygienic food in Maharashtra since the state Food and Drug Administration launched a complaint-reporting portal, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said. The senior IAS officer was in the city on Saturday to attend a food safety conference organised by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture. Speaking to reporters, he said the FDA recently launched the portal "complaints.mahafda.in" to allow people to register their complaints concerning food items. "Thousands of complaints poured in after the portal went live and 10 lakh hits were recorded within 24 hours," he said. Asked about the distribution of complaints across the state, he said, "The highest number of complaints has been registered in Pune district, and most of them concern unhygienic food." The new system will bring in accountability and transparency, the official said. The FDA joint commissioner of the region concerned will take ...
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
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced the launch of the generic version of Olanzapine injection, indicated for treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in the US. The company's arm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc, USA has launched Olanzapine for injection of strength 10 mg/vial, single-dose vial, Glenmark said in a regulatory filing. The company's Olanzapine for injection is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug, Zyprexa intramuscular injection 10 mg/vial, of Cheplapharm Registration GmbH, it added. "The launch of Olanzapine for Injection underscores our strategic focus on growing a robust injectables portfolio and strengthening our presence within the institutional channel," Glenmark President & Business Head, North America, Marc Kikuchi said. Citing IQVIA sales data for the 12-month period ended May 2026, Glenmark said the Zyprexa intramuscular injection market achieved annual sales of approximately USD 25.4 million.
A US-based subsidiary of drugmaker Cipla is recalling over 400 cartons of generic anti-cancer medication due to a manufacturing issue, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). Warren (New Jersey)-based Cipla USA, Inc is recalling Nilotinib Capsules in two strengths (150 mg and 200 mg), the US health regulator said in its latest Enforcement Report. The company is recalling the affected lot (271 and 164 cartons) due to "failed tablet/capsule specifications", it stated. Cipla USA, Inc initiated the Class III voluntary recall on February 18 this year. According to the USFDA, a Class III recall is initiated in a "situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences". Nilotinib works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps to stop or slow the spread of cancer cells. India has the highest number of USFDA-compliant pharmaceutical plants outside of the ...
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cancelled the licences of 13 medical stores and suspended those of 32 in Nanded district over alleged sale of intoxicant tablets, officials have said. As part of a drive, the FDA had issued show-cause notices to 48 medical stores for selling intoxicant tablets without a doctor's prescription and for violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Assistant Commissioner (Drugs) AT Rathod said in a release on Wednesday. After the explanations submitted were found unsatisfactory, the licences of 32 medical stores were suspended, while the licences of 13 stores were permanently cancelled. Action has been proposed against the remaining three medical stores, it said. In some cases, the FDA said, the medical stores have secured stay orders at the government level, and proceedings against them are currently pending before higher authorities.
The head of the Food and Drug Administration's drug centre abruptly resigned on Sunday after federal officials began reviewing serious concerns about his personal conduct, according to a government spokesperson. Dr George Tidmarsh, who was named to the FDA post in July, was placed on leave Friday after officials in the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of General Counsel were notified of the issues, HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard said in an email. Tidmarsh then resigned on Sunday morning. Secretary Kennedy expects the highest ethical standards from all individuals serving under his leadership and remains committed to full transparency, Hilliard said. The departure came the same day that a drugmaker connected to one of Tidmarsh's former business associates filed a lawsuit alleging that he made false and defamatory statements during his time at the FDA. The lawsuit, brought by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, alleges that Tidmarsh used his FDA position to pursue a longstand