Mumbai: A surprise food safety inspection has landed some of Mumbai’s most well known dining establishments in serious trouble. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licences of the iconic Poornima Restaurant in Fort and five prominent city clubs after inspectors allegedly found cockroaches, rotten food, fungal contamination and a series of hygiene violations during recent inspections.
The action is part of the FDA’s ongoing statewide drive to tighten food safety standards. Officials said the affected establishments will not be allowed to resume food operations until every violation has been addressed and fresh inspections confirm compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Among the biggest names on the list is Poornima Restaurant, a Fort landmark that has served generations of Mumbaikars for nearly six decades. During the inspection, officials reportedly found fungal growth on drumsticks meant for sambar and on bananas used to prepare the restaurant’s popular banana vada.
Inspectors also pointed to several sanitation issues, including flies inside the kitchen, stagnant water around food preparation areas, clogged drains, peeling walls, rusted fixtures and refrigerator doors that were not shutting properly. They also noted that mandatory medical records of food handlers were unavailable.
The crackdown wasn’t limited to Poornima. The FDA also suspended the food business licences of the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Willingdon Sports Club, MIG Cricket Club, RK Juhu Gymkhana and Aparna Juhu Gymkhana, citing multiple violations of food safety norms.
At the prestigious Cricket Club of India, inspectors allegedly discovered cockroaches and flies in food preparation areas, rotten vegetables, expired food items and water dripping from refrigeration units onto stored food. The inspection team also observed poor waste management practices, unhygienic storage of utensils and the absence of separate preparation areas for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, increasing the risk of cross contamination.
The situation at MIG Cricket Club was equally concerning. According to the FDA, an unauthorised catering agency was operating without a valid FSSAI licence. Officials also reported cockroach infestation, cobwebs, improper storage of raw and cooked food, missing health records of food handlers and inadequate food and water testing procedures.
While detailed findings from the inspections at Willingdon Sports Club, RK Juhu Gymkhana and Aparna Juhu Gymkhana have not been released publicly, authorities said each of the clubs was found to be violating key food safety regulations, leading to the suspension of their food licences.
The inspections were carried out between July 24 and July 27 under the direction of Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who has been spearheading stricter enforcement of food safety standards across the state. The department has made it clear that the suspensions are temporary and will be revoked only after all deficiencies are rectified and the establishments successfully pass a follow-up inspection.
The latest action sends a strong message that food safety norms apply equally to heritage restaurants, premium clubs and commercial establishments. For customers, it also serves as a reminder that reputation alone cannot be a substitute for hygiene, and that regular inspections remain a key safeguard for public health.
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