Brands
FSSAI orders Wai Wai maker to stop Veg Bhujia production over violations
Regulator finds floor-collected noodles, predated packaging and unlicensed variants at Ajmer unit
MUMBAI: For a food regulator, there is no room for cutting corners, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has moved against CG Foods India Pvt Ltd, the maker of Wai Wai, after finding multiple food safety and compliance violations at its facility in Rajasthan.
FSSAI has directed the company to stop producing its Veg Bhujia Namkeen products following an inspection at its manufacturing unit in Roopangarh, Ajmer. The inspection was aimed at checking manufacturing practices, hygiene and regulatory compliance.
The regulator said the facility was found reprocessing broken noodles collected from the floor into bhujia products without heat treatment. Inspectors also found packaging carrying dates that predated the actual production of the products.
The inspection raised licensing concerns as well. FSSAI said the facility was manufacturing the ‘Wai-Wai MaMa’ and ‘Wai-Wai Mama Punte’ bhujia variants without the required licence, in violation of Section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The regulator said it seized 32,107.2 kg of stock from the premises, including loose broken noodles. It also detained 1,925 boxes of expired finished products.
Beyond the products themselves, FSSAI flagged gaps in hygiene and documentation, including inadequate records relating to pest control and other food safety requirements. Samples collected from the facility have been sent for laboratory testing.
FSSAI said legal proceedings have been initiated against the company and warned that further action could follow depending on the laboratory results and findings from the inspection.
The regulator has instructed CG Foods India to discontinue production of the Veg Bhujia Namkeen products until the required approvals and corrective measures are in place.
The action puts the spotlight on the food safety controls behind packaged snacks, with FSSAI making clear that licensing, hygiene and traceability requirements apply as firmly to new product variants as they do to established brands.
