FSSAI Initiates Action Against CG Foods Over Unsafe Processing and Licensing Violations
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated enforcement proceedings against CG Foods India Pvt Ltd, the manufacturer behind the Wai-Wai noodles brand, after finding multiple compliance and hygiene breaches. The regulatory intervention was announced by the central food authority on X following an inspection of the company’s premises located in Roopangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan.
What Happened
According to statements released by the FSSAI, an inspection team visited the CG Foods India facility in Roopangarh, Ajmer, to verify its compliance with statutory manufacturing and hygiene benchmarks. The verification drive uncovered severe lapses in operational processes, product safety, and regulatory authorisations.
Inspectors observed that broken noodles collected from the floor were being reprocessed into bhujia products without the application of requisite heat treatment. In addition to unsafe handling, the regulatory team documented the use of predated packaging dates at the manufacturing site.
The regulator also reported that the facility was producing specific bhujia lines without the necessary statutory licences. Specifically, the unlicensed manufacturing of Wai-Wai MaMa and Wai-Wai Mama Punte bhujia variants was identified during the check. The authority classified this unauthorised production as a direct breach of Section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.
Furthermore, enforcement officials discovered 1,925 boxes of expired finished goods on the premises. These boxes were detained by the regulator, and strict legal proceedings were initiated against the food business operator (FBO).
Key Highlights
- Enforcement Action: FSSAI has begun formal enforcement against CG Foods India Pvt Ltd, the producer of Wai-Wai noodles.
- Inspection Site: The regulatory check took place at the company’s manufacturing unit in Roopangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan.
- Unsafe Reprocessing: Officials uncovered floor-collected, broken noodles being repurposed into bhujia without necessary heat treatment.
- Packaging Lapses: The facility was found to be using predated packaging dates on items.
- Licensing Breach: Production of Wai-Wai MaMa and Wai-Wai Mama Punte bhujia variants was conducted without a licence, violating Section 31(1) of the FSS Act, 2006.
- Detained Goods: Regulators seized and detained 1,925 boxes containing expired finished food items.
- Operational Directives: The company was ordered to immediately stop producing veg bhujia namkeen products without appropriate approvals and safeguards.
Why This Matters
The findings directly implicate manufacturing hygiene, statutory traceability, and licensing protocol under India’s primary food regulatory framework. Operating without a valid licence under Section 31(1) of the FSS Act, 2006, along with reprocessing floor-collected food materials without mandatory heat processing, represents a clear deviation from legal safety norms established for commercial food processing.
The detention of nearly 2,000 boxes of expired finished inventory also points to deficiencies in stock management and storage oversight at the unit level, prompting regulatory intervention to prevent substandard items from continuing in production cycles.
What to Watch Next
The FSSAI has indicated that additional enforcement and regulatory steps will be determined following laboratory analysis of samples taken during the inspection. Future legal proceedings will proceed under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, while the business operator remains instructed to cease unlicensed veg bhujia namkeen production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which company is facing regulatory action?
The action has been taken against CG Foods India Pvt Ltd, the manufacturer of Wai-Wai noodles.
Where did the inspection take place?
The inspection was carried out at the company’s unit in Roopangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan.
What specific safety violations were identified?
FSSAI found broken noodles gathered from the floor being reprocessed into bhujia without heat treatment, predated packaging dates, 1,925 boxes of expired inventory, and unlicensed production of specific bhujia variants.
Which products were produced without a licence?
The regulator reported unlicensed production of the Wai-Wai MaMa and Wai-Wai Mama Punte bhujia variants, in violation of Section 31(1) of the FSS Act, 2006.
Source: Information reported by Business Standard based on an official announcement by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on X.