Licenses of Shivam Agro and TCF Chocolates Suspended Over Severe Hygiene Violations
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken decisive enforcement action by suspending the operating licenses of Shivam Agro and TCF Chocolates and Gifts Pvt Ltd with immediate effect. Following surprise inspections that exposed gross non-compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, the apex food regulator ordered both business entities to halt all manufacturing, packaging, and commercial distribution operations until their licenses remain suspended. The statutory directive aims to eliminate direct health hazards to consumers purchasing packaged consumables across retail and digital marketplaces.
Consumer Complaint Against E-Commerce Orders Triggers Raid on TCF Chocolates
The regulatory crackdown on TCF Chocolates and Gifts Pvt Ltd was initiated after an aggrieved consumer lodged a formal grievance regarding confectionery items procured through a mainstream online shopping platform. When food safety inspectors conducted surprise checks across the firm's premises, they discovered deplorable working conditions, severe sanitation lapses, and unmanaged municipal waste disposal. Inspecting officers cataloged extensive insect infestations, visible cat feces in production zones, and untrapped open drains running adjacent to processing units. Additionally, the unit was found utilizing expired synthetic food colors and flavoring agents, failed to furnish statutory batch records, and distributed products with deceptive or missing mandatory labeling details.
Stagnant Sewage, Infestations, and Inactive Quality Labs at Shivam Agro
Simultaneous inspections at Shivam Agro revealed equally alarming violations of basic industrial hygiene and manufacturing guidelines. Enforcement teams documented heavy swarms of flies, unchecked garbage piles, webs of spiders, and stagnant raw sewage within the production and storage perimeters. Flooring, internal walls, overhead ceilings, and food-handling machinery showed long-standing neglect with zero sanitized washdowns. Beyond unhygienic storage conditions, the company’s dedicated in-house quality testing laboratory was found completely non-functional, alongside severe labeling discrepancies that failed to meet mandatory statutory disclosure norms.
FSSAI Tightens Surveillance Across Online and Packaged Food Supply Chains
The dual suspension underscores the regulatory watchdog's heightened surveillance over both physical supply chains and rapidly growing e-commerce grocery platforms. Issuing a public notice on its digital communication channels, the FSSAI reiterated that manufacturers must strictly comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP). Re-licensing will be conditional upon exhaustive re-inspections, complete remediation of infrastructural flaws, verification of operational testing labs, and strict clearance from central food safety auditors.
