FSSAI suspends Seven Seas Hospitality licence over hygiene, food safety violations

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has suspended the licence of Seven Seas Hospitality Pvt Ltd with immediate effect after finding serious hygiene and food safety violations during an inspection of its food premises.

The regulator said the company recorded a compliance score of only 30%, classifying the premises as “Non-compliance”. It has also directed the company to cease all food business activities during the suspension period.

Fungal growth, rotten food found

According to FSSAI, inspectors found poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, including water stagnation, foul odour, filth and inadequate housekeeping in food preparation areas.

The inspection also found deteriorated food materials, with fungal growth on tomatoes, papaya, jaggery and cashew nuts. Rotten capsicum and degraded cooking oil were also found at the premises.

The regulator flagged serious deficiencies in food storage, including inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, improper meat storage and condensation dripping onto food items inside cold-storage units.

FSSAI also reported infrastructure and pest-control deficiencies, including refrigeration leakage, excessive ice deposition, plaster flaking, inadequate cold storage, poor ventilation and lighting, besides the presence of cockroaches and house flies.

74 kg/litres of food destroyed

The inspection also found non-compliance in sanitation, record maintenance and water testing, FSSAI said.

Officials destroyed approximately 74 kg/litres of non-compliant food articles found during the inspection.

The regulator said the findings amounted to serious non-compliances and suspended the food licence of Seven Seas Hospitality with immediate effect.

The company has been directed to cease all food business activities during the suspension period, according to FSSAI.