The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday suspended the licence of Seven Seas Hospitality with immediate effect following serious food safety violations identified during an inspection.
Seven Seas Hospitality is an Indian hospitality and event management company based in New Delhi, known for luxury banqueting, catering and operating the Seven Seas Hotel in Rohini, Delhi.
In a social media post on Wednesday, FSSAI said it had suspended the licence of Seven Seas Hospitality after finding “serious non-compliances” during an inspection of its food premises. The food regulator also directed the company to cease all food business activities during the suspension period.
Poor hygiene, deteriorated food found
FSSAI said the inspection found poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, including water stagnation, foul odour, filth and inadequate housekeeping in food preparation areas.
The regulator also found deteriorated food materials, including fungal growth on tomatoes, papaya, jaggery and cashew nuts. Rotten capsicums and blackened, degraded cooking oil were also found during the inspection.
Food storage deficiencies flagged
The inspection also identified serious deficiencies in food storage, including inadequate segregation of meat and vegetarian food. FSSAI said improper meat storage was observed, along with condensation dripping onto food items in cold storage units.
Pest-control lapses
Major infrastructure and pest-control deficiencies were also observed, according to FSSAI. These included refrigeration leakage, excessive ice deposition, plaster flaking, inadequate cold storage, poor ventilation and lighting, as well as the presence of cockroaches and house flies.
The regulator also found non-compliance in sanitation, record maintenance and water testing. Approximately 74 kg/litres of non-compliant food articles were destroyed on-site, while the food business operator (FBO) achieved a compliance score of only 30 per cent, which was classified as ‘non-compliance’.
FSSAI steps up enforcement
The move comes as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and state food safety authorities have intensified inspections and suspended the licences of multiple hotels and eateries across cities over severe hygiene lapses and food safety violations. Recently, the food regulator also initiated penal action against e-commerce platforms Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, Flipkart India and Zepto for various non-compliances, including misleading claims and the sale of prohibited products.
