‘Insect-infested flour, lack of water testing’: FDA suspends Maharashtra eatery licence

Maharashtra FDA suspended Chhappan Bhog’s licence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after inspections found insect-infested flour and storage violations.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Aug 21, 2026 06:17 PM IST

FDA officials raiding the eatery in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) crackdown on eateries in Maharashtra has extended beyond Mumbai and Pune, with officials at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar stepping up inspection drives. In a major action, FDA officials suspended the licence of a prominent eatery, Chhappan Bhog Thali Restaurant and Banquet Hall, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday.

Shrikant Karkale, Joint Commissioner, FDA (Food), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, told The Indian Express that a surprise raid was conducted at the Chhappan Bhog on Thursday.

He said serious discrepancies were observed, such as insect-infested jowar and bajra flour being kept in a ready-to-use condition. “During our inspection, the workers said that they would use the flour by just keeping aside the insects,” Karkale added.

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He also pointed out that if food stock is kept for a long period, then there is a risk of moisture absorption and mould growth, leading to increasing insect infestation.

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The FDA team also found a lack of separate storage arrangements for food, packaging materials, chemicals and personal items. “The food stock in the refrigerator/freezer was also not properly stored or labelled during inspection. There is a risk of cross-contamination, chemical contamination and use of items that have crossed the expiry date,” Karkale said.

FDA officials also said there were no records at the restaurant of testing the water used for preparing food items.

They added that considering these violations, the FSSAI licence of the eatery was suspended under the Safe Food Safe Maharashtra campaign.

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Meanwhile, when contacted, Shivaji Patil, President, Aurangabad District Hotels and Restaurant Owners Association, said, “We are asking hoteliers to follow rules and regulations, undertake third-party audit and ensure medical check of staff.”

Insect-infested flour was found during the FDA raid at the Chhappan Bhog restaurant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)

State-level FDA officials said they were stepping up inspections of establishments and facilities to identify violations, check adherence to prescribed standards and take action wherever necessary.

“These ongoing inspections indicate that regulatory scrutiny is being extended beyond Maharashtra’s major metropolitan centres to ensure that businesses operate in accordance with the rules and regulations,” an FDA official added.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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