📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vyacheslav Argenberg
Food
Maharashtra FDA Confiscates Nearly 4 Tonnes of School Meal Supplies in Junnar
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 28 Aug 2026, 08:25 AM
👁 32
The state food regulator seized 3,958 kilograms of food intended for school meals in the town of Junnar, citing safety concerns.
Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a surprise raid on a storage facility in the small town of Junnar, Pune district, and confiscated 3,958 kilograms of food earmarked for the state's school feeding program. Officials said the bulk items, comprising grains and other staples, failed to meet prescribed safety and quality standards, prompting immediate seizure to prevent their distribution to students.
The action underscores the regulator's heightened vigilance after a series of reports about substandard supplies in government-run mid‑day meals across the state. The FDA has warned that any institution found using non‑compliant food will face strict penalties, including suspension of contracts.
School authorities in Junnar have been notified of the seizure and are cooperating with the FDA to source alternative, verified supplies for the upcoming meal schedule. The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring food safety in large‑scale nutrition schemes.
The department reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the health of schoolchildren and announced that further random inspections will be carried out in other districts to ensure compliance with the state's nutrition standards.
The action underscores the regulator's heightened vigilance after a series of reports about substandard supplies in government-run mid‑day meals across the state. The FDA has warned that any institution found using non‑compliant food will face strict penalties, including suspension of contracts.
School authorities in Junnar have been notified of the seizure and are cooperating with the FDA to source alternative, verified supplies for the upcoming meal schedule. The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring food safety in large‑scale nutrition schemes.
The department reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the health of schoolchildren and announced that further random inspections will be carried out in other districts to ensure compliance with the state's nutrition standards.