FDA suspends SPPU mess licence after inspection finds severe violations

2 min readPuneJun 18, 2026 12:01 AM IST

According to information gathered during the inspection, the Refectory Mess is among the largest kitchens on the SPPU campus and caters to around 1,000 students. It also supplies food to the G8 mess, Umap said.

Also by Piyush Padwale

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 17 has suspended the licence of the central Refectory Mess at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) following an inspection that found multiple food safety and hygiene violations, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said.

The inspection at the university’s Refectory Mess took place around 7 pm on June 16 after the FDA received a complaint via email and took note of media reports regarding food quality, said Ajinkya Subhash Umap, Food Safety Officer Shivajinagar.

“We conducted an inspection at the site and collected evidence through photographs and videos. Based on that, we submitted a report to our senior authorities on the same day. The mess operator was called for a hearing on June 17 in accordance with the principles of natural justice. Following the hearing, FDA Assistant Commissioner Syed Imran Hashmi suspended the licence based on my report pending further orders,” Umap told The Indian Express.

He said inspectors found multiple lapses, including poor personal hygiene among food handlers, absence of aprons, gloves and headgear, lack of medical fitness certificates, and absence of water-testing records and pest-control reports. Describing some of the more serious violations, Umap said, “Vegetables like onions to be used for cooking the next day were chopped a day before and kept. Food was stored in uncovered vessels. Many of the metallic vessels were also rusted.”

According to information gathered during the inspection, the Refectory Mess is among the largest kitchens on the SPPU campus and caters to around 1,000 students. It also supplies food to the G8 mess, Umap said.

Reacting to the FDA action, Abhishek Shelkar, President of the University Student’s Struggle Action Committee, said, “Over the past year, more than 50 complaints have surfaced regarding worms, larvae, cockroaches, hair, and other harmful substances being found in food served at various university messes and canteens. Strict action, as per rules, must be taken against operators who compromise students’ health.”

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Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.

Professional Background

Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.

Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.

Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:

1. Investigations & Governance

"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.

"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.

2. Education & Campus Life

Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.

"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.

3. Human Rights & Social Issues

"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.

"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.

Signature Style

Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.

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