FDA Pune Sweets Seized: 3,196 kg Taken Before Diwali, 8 Licences Suspended in Pune Division

Pune, 4th November 2026: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized 3,196 kg of sweets, snacks and dry fruit worth Rs 16.93 lakh across Pune division on Tuesday, 3 November. It suspended eight licences and ordered three businesses to stop operating, days before Diwali.

The checks covered 15 sweet shops, dairies, bakeries and dry fruit traders in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur. Of the seized stock, 1,440.5 kg worth Rs 4.35 lakh was destroyed on the spot.

Which Pune areas did the FDA act in?

Ten of the 15 establishments were in Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune district, according to details reported by Free Press Journal. The FDA cited suspected substandard quality, unhygienic preparation, poor storage, wrong labelling and missing licences.

• Shikrapur: 605 kg of Mysore pak and laddoos destroyed at a unit found making sweets in unhygienic conditions without the required licence
• Mulshi: 486 kg of malai rabdi and anguri rasgulla seized
• Mohammadwadi: 268 kg of barfi destroyed over improper storage and handling
• Manchar: 250 kg of suspected substandard meetha mawa destroyed
• Camp: 186 kg of motichoor laddoos, khoya and malai peda seized and destroyed at Karachi Sweet Mart over record-keeping, storage and expired-ingredient violations
• Shivajinagar: 104.7 kg of dairy products seized
• Pimple Saudagar: 92.5 kg of sweets and snacks seized
• Wanowrie: 58 kg of kalakand seized and a closure notice issued for operating without a licence or registration
• Kalewadi: 35 kg of suspected substandard kalakand destroyed
• Keshav Nagar, Mundhwa: closure notice for operating without a valid FSSAI licence

Outside Pune, the largest single seizure was 749 kg of almonds worth Rs 8.99 lakh from a trader at Sangli’s Vasantdada Market Yard, over suspected substandard quality and wrong labelling. The FDA has not named the eight businesses whose licences were suspended.

Seizure and suspension are administrative steps. Samples are tested in a laboratory before any prosecution, and the businesses can contest the action.

Why is the FDA raiding sweet shops now?

Demand for mawa, khoya, laddoos and dry fruit peaks in the weeks before Diwali, and so does the risk of adulterated or stale stock. The drive is part of the “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” campaign launched by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, Punekar News reported.

A day earlier, on 2 November, the Pune FDA seized about 1,190 kg of laddoos worth Rs 1.74 lakh from a unit in Tilekar Nagar, Kondhwa. The Pune FDA said the laddoos were made in unhygienic conditions with excess permitted colour, according to Free Press Journal.

The state FDA has been active through the festive season. Earlier this month it also suspended four of its own officials after raids in Pune and Bhiwandi.

How can Pune buyers check sweets before Diwali?

• Buy from shops that display an FSSAI licence or registration number, and ask for it if you cannot see it.
• Prefer sweets made the same day, especially milk-based ones such as kalakand, peda and rabdi, which spoil quickly.
• Be wary of unusually bright colours, a sour smell or a rubbery texture in khoya sweets.
• Check packed dry fruit for a manufacturer address, batch number and date.

Our guide on how to check khoya, paneer and sweets for adulteration at home explains simple tests. If you prefer to make faral at home, see our Diwali faral guide.

How do I complain about adulterated sweets in Pune?

You can report a suspected food safety problem to the Maharashtra FDA. Its toll-free helpline, 1800-222-365, was publicised by the department in June. Keep the bill, the packet or a sample, and note the shop’s name and address.

The FDA has not said how many samples from this drive have been sent for testing, or when results will be out. We will update this story when it shares more.

This article is for general information and is not health advice. If you feel unwell after eating, consult a doctor.

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