Garden Vada Pav in Pune Camp Under FDA Scanner After ‘Substandard’ 358 Kg Groundnut Oil Seizure
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Camp, 10th October 2026: Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized 358.4 kg of filtered groundnut oil worth ₹71,918 from Garden Vada Pav in Pune Camp on October 9 after suspecting it to be substandard, according to an official press note. The action was part of a wider inspection drive across Pune division ahead of the festive season.
The establishment, identified in the press note as Garden Vadapav Center at Gawali Wada, was also cited for alleged violations of Sections 23, 26 and 27 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The quality concerns remain subject to laboratory verification. The FDA said samples would be sent for analysis and further legal action would be taken after the reports were received.
Across the division, officials inspected 25 establishments in Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Satara and Kolhapur districts, seizing 74,612.11 kg of edible oil valued at ₹1,28,73,047.60. The drive targeted oil suspected to be substandard or unsafe, as well as labelling and other compliance violations.
Pune district accounted for the largest seizure, with 34,481.1 kg of oil worth approximately ₹58.90 lakh confiscated from eight establishments.
Among the larger seizures in the district were 12,518.6 kg of oil worth ₹19.38 lakh from Sant Tukaram Oil Mill in Dehu and 12,434.3 kg worth ₹19.05 lakh from Laxmi Enterprises in Aale, Junnar taluka. According to the FDA, inspections at these establishments revealed non-functional laboratories, the absence of chemists, reused tins and shared oil pipelines, among other irregularities.
The other Pune district establishments named in the drive were Sameer Enterprises in Baramati, Meera Agro Oil Industries in Chakan, Sanch Farms Pvt. Ltd. in Mulshi, Praj Traders in Market Yard and Shree Ramkrishna Oil Mills in Shukrawar Peth.
Elsewhere in the division, the FDA reported seizures of 18,156 kg of oil worth ₹29.03 lakh in Kolhapur, 13,490.4 kg worth ₹25.33 lakh in Solapur, 5,948.15 kg worth ₹11.41 lakh in Satara and 2,536.46 kg worth ₹4.07 lakh in Sangli.
The agency said the inspections identified deficiencies including missing or non-functional laboratories, inadequate purchase and production records, incorrect labelling, reused packaging tins and licensing irregularities. Directions to stop business were issued to Rajaram Annappa Phalle in Sangli, according to the press note.
The FDA said the special drive was intended to ensure that consumers receive safe, good-quality edible oil during the festive season and warned food business operators of stringent action for non-compliance.
Consumers can report food-quality complaints or suspected malpractice through the FDA’s toll-free helpline, 1800222365, or its Food and Drug Grievance Portal.
Proofread for grammar, spelling, clarity and consistency. The report retains the distinction between suspected quality defects and findings awaiting laboratory confirmation.
