Colaba’s Iconic Olympia Coffee House Suspended Over Urinal in Food Storage Area
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The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its statewide public health enforcement, suspending the food business license of the historic Olympia Coffee House located in South Mumbai's Colaba. The regulatory crackdown followed surprise inspections across 27 establishments throughout Maharashtra, culminating in license suspensions for 14 food venues. Among the immediate targets was the central canteen at BYL Nair Charitable Hospital in Mumbai Central, which faced immediate closure following formal consumer grievances alongside severe sanitation defaults uncovered during sanitary audits.
Shocking Contamination and Structural Violations at Olympia Coffee House
During the official raid at Olympia Coffee House, regulatory inspectors uncovered gross sanitation violations that posed severe health risks to customers. Inspectors found a functional urinal placed directly inside the active food storage enclosure, heavy infestations of cockroaches and flies across food preparation zones, and unhygienic refrigeration units filled with stale blood and raw meat residue. Additional violations logged in the official notice included dirty utensil-washing areas, food ingredients processed directly on contaminated flooring, the lack of clean potable water certificates, and an utter failure to segregate vegetarian ingredients from raw non-vegetarian stock.
Untrained Kitchen Staff, Missing Records, and Citywide Establishments Penalized
The audit further documented broken wooden cutting boards that harbor microbial growth, kitchen workers handling food without protective gloves or headgear, and complete absence of pest control and water quality audit reports. Notably, 34 out of the 35 food handlers working on-site had never undergone statutory Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC). Beyond Olympia, the enforcement sweep hit several retail outlets and eateries across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, and Nagpur, including a Blinkit dark store in Chembur, Vishwas Sweets and A-1 General & Dry Fruits in Ghatkopar, Milan Punjab in Worli, Sadguru Sweets in Malad, and an eatery in Kharghar.
Massive Festive Season Raids: 2,813 kg Adulterated Dairy and Banned Gutkha Seized
Coinciding with the upcoming festive rush, the FDA intercepted and confiscated 2,813 kilograms of adulterated dairy items valued at ₹7.38 lakh across Maharashtra, confiscating suspicious batches of khoya, mawa, and paneer. In targeted vehicle checks across Thane and Mira Road, authorities confiscated over 2,300 kg of substandard sweetened mawa being smuggled directly from Gujarat. Simultaneously, flying squads in Nagpur intercepted transport vehicles smuggling banned gutkha and prohibited tobacco products worth ₹12.10 lakh, leading to the prompt arrest of three individuals under strict food safety and criminal statutes.
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