FSSAI Cracks the Whip: Licenses of Shivam Agro and TCF Chocolates Suspended Over Cat Feces

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-02 12:57:00

In an aggressive enforcement drive against severe hygiene lapses and adulteration risks, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has suspended the operating licenses of two prominent food business operators—Shivam Agro and TCF Chocolates and Gifts Pvt Ltd—with immediate effect. The statutory food safety regulator ordered both manufacturing firms to shut down all production, packaging, and commercial operations immediately after surprise investigative audits uncovered egregious violations of sanitary norms, hazardous contamination risks, and blatant non-compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Online Consumer Complaint Exposes Horrors at TCF Chocolates & Gifts

The regulatory dragnet was triggered after an alert consumer lodged a formal complaint regarding questionable confectionery items purchased through an online e-commerce platform:

Shocking Sanitary Lapses: Surprise inspections carried out at the manufacturing facility of TCF Chocolates and Gifts Pvt Ltd exposed alarming health hazards, including open drains running close to processing zones, severe insect infestations, and deposits of cat feces across the premises.

Expired Additives and Chemical Dyes: Enforcement officers uncovered stockpiles of expired synthetic food coloring agents and artificial flavoring essences that were allegedly being incorporated into confectionery batches.

Missing Records and Misleading Labels: The manufacturer failed to produce statutory quality control logs, batch testing documents, and mandatory food safety records, while multiple retail packs exhibited misleading or non-compliant product labeling.

Filth and Fly Infestation at Shivam Agro: Dormant Labs and Stagnant Sewage

The audit conducted at Shivam Agro revealed equally disturbing conditions, indicating systemic failure in daily processing standards:

Severe Pest and Sewage Contamination: Inspecting teams found the plant overrun with swarms of flies, widespread spider webs, accumulated solid garbage, and open pools of stagnant sewage inside the industrial footprint.

Unsanitary Processing Machinery: Plant equipment, ceilings, walls, and processing floors were found covered in grime, oil residue, and dust, posing immediate cross-contamination risks to raw materials and finished goods.

Defunct Quality Testing Lab: The company’s on-site testing laboratory was found completely non-operational, revealing that products were leaving the unit without basic mandatory microbial or chemical clearance, alongside noticeable discrepancies in nutritional labeling.

Immediate Halt on Production: Compliance Roadblocks Before Revival

The FSSAI has issued clear orders that neither entity will be permitted to manufacture, distribute, or sell products until complete remediation is verified:

Complete Cessation of Operations: Both companies have been directed to halt all manufacturing, packaging, and inventory dispatch with immediate effect until further regulatory clearance.

Strict Rectification Mandate: Before any license restoration can be considered, the companies must overhaul their physical infrastructure, eliminate pest infestations, commission functional quality testing labs, and present certified compliance audits for scrutiny.

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