FDA suspends license of Mumbai’s six-decade-old Udupi eatery Poornima Restaurant

Among the key findings was fungal growth on stored raw vegetables, including drumsticks—a key ingredient in sambar—and bananas used to prepare the restaurant’s signature dish banana vada. “Considering the fact that idli and dosa batter is acidic in nature, fungal infestation in the kitchen may cause serious health hazards,” an FDA official said.

According to the FDA, raw contaminated materials were stored alongside cooked and frozen food items. The inspection also found several flies, stagnant water, dirty drains without cockroach traps, and unhygienic walls and ceilings with flaking paint and rust.

Other violations included the absence of medical fitness records and periodic health check-ups for food handlers, refrigeration unit doors that did not seal properly, and the use of non-food-grade plastic barrels to store pickles without the required compliance certification.