As the Maharashtra food safety body steps up its crackdown on food safety violations, data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation shows that its vigilance teams seized and destroyed 48,166 kg of meat in Mumbai between April 2025 and March 2026, with bovine meat accounting for about 90 per cent of the total.

The seizures, made over concerns ranging from illegal slaughter and transportation to unhygienic handling, included 43,498 kg of bovine meat, 4,081 kg of fish, 41 kg of chicken, 33 kg of goat meat and 3 kg of pork. Another 510 kg comprised animal skin, which is used for leather products.

The BMC also seized 59,965 live animals during the year, including 59,062 hens and 903 goats and sheep, in cases involving illegal slaughter and sale at unauthorised locations.

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Despite the scale of the operation, meat seizures declined slightly from the previous year (Claude-generated image)

In Mumbai, buffalo slaughter is permitted only within the Deonar Abattoir, while meat like chicken, goat, pork and fish can be sold through 4,388 licensed external shops and 1,120 designated meat shops in BMC markets.

Furthermore, under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, the slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks is prohibited across Maharashtra.

The licensing system is intended not only to regulate where animals are slaughtered and meat is sold, but also to ensure that meat reaching consumers is handled hygienically.

Officials said meat transported or slaughtered outside authorised locations remains a food safety concern, particularly where there is no oversight of how it is handled, stored or transported.

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The BMC’s market department has three special vigilance teams covering the island city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs. They conduct inspections based on complaints as well as suo motu checks. The department is empowered to regulate meat shops, oversee the import and slaughter of animals and act against contraband meat.

According to BMC data, the 43,498 kg of bovine meat seized during the year included cow meat, which is banned in Maharashtra, as well as buffalo meat slaughtered outside authorised premises.

“Besides seizing contraband meat like cow meat, meat is also seized if the handlers are found violating food safety norms, including the hygiene of handlers, quality of water used for cleaning, sanitation standards, method of preservation and display of meat,” a senior BMC official said.

The seizures are generally triggered by citizen complaints or inspections by the vigilance teams. When a consignment of illegally slaughtered or sold meat is intercepted, it is seized and taken to a police station, while samples are sent for examination by forensic teams.

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“From the point of view of safety and sanitation, meat from unauthorised sources is eventually destroyed,” a BMC source said.

Meat deemed unfit for consumption is denatured using chemicals to make it unsuitable for consumption and subsequently buried, officials said.

The BMC also worked with the Mumbai Police in several cases involving illegal slaughter and sale. Between April 2025 and March 2026, at least 524 people were arrested under criminal sections, while fines totalling Rs 13.08 lakh were collected from offenders.

The action extended to live animals as well. Seized hens, goats and sheep are either produced before a magistrate for further orders or auctioned. The BMC generated Rs 51.51 lakh through auctions of seized livestock during 2025-26.

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Despite the scale of the operation, meat seizures declined slightly from the previous year. Between April 2024 and March 2025, the BMC had seized more than 50,000 kg of meat and 56,700 live animals.