FSSAI withdraws Fortune Dairy’s license after human finger found in ice cream

After a Mumbai-based doctor allegedly found a piece of a human finger in the ice cream he ordered online, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has suspended the license of Indapur-based Fortune Dairy Industries Pvt Ltd, the third-party manufacturing unit of Yummo Ice Creams.

Earlier, 26-year-old Brendan Ferrao had filed a complaint with the Malad police on June 12 and a case was registered under sections 272, 273 and 336 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Yummo Ice Creams.

Following the complaint, the company management claimed that the ice cream was manufactured at Fortune Dairy Industries Pvt Ltd in Indapur.

Officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) subsequently visited the plants in Indapur and Hadapsar on Friday.

Suresh Annapure, FDA deputy commissioner, Pune region, said the central authorities had granted the food license to Fortune Dairy.

“After the incident, the FSSAI conducted an inspection and the central authorities cancelled the dairy’s license,” he said.

Annapure further said that the Hadapsar unit had nothing to do with the incident, but the inspection of the unit was carried out as a preventive measure.

“The inspection of the Hadapsar unit took over 12 hours. We are in the process of issuing a notice to the unit,” he added.

Sachin Jadhav, owner of Fortune Dairy Industries Pvt Ltd in Indapur, alleged that it was a conspiracy to defame the brand.

“The dairy’s license is temporarily suspended and the establishment is not sealed. However, we cannot carry out any manufacturing activities here,” Jadhav said.

He further said that Fortune Dairy Industries started the production unit in 2020. The company collects over two lakh litres of milk every day and produces butter and skimmed milk powder.

Walko QSR Company Pvt Ltd, owner of Yummo Ice Creams, has its ice cream manufactured at plants in Ghaziabad, Jaipur and Gujarat. “We have started manufacturing the ice cream for the company from September 19, 2023,” said Jadhav.

“We are assisting the authorities as the investigation into the incident continues,” he added.