FSSAI directs states to curb food adulteration during festive season

FSSAI has directed food safety authorities in all states and UTs to intensify surveillance and inspections during the Navratri and Diwali festive season. The move aims to prevent the circulation of adulterated and unsafe food products.

Nationwide Crackdown on Adulterated Food

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed food safety authorities across States and Union Territories to intensify surveillance, inspections and sampling during the upcoming Navratri and Diwali festive season to prevent the circulation of adulterated, counterfeit and unsafe food products.

In a directive dated September 29, FSSAI said the demand for sweets, savouries, beverages, edible oil, milk and milk products such as ghee, khoa and paneer is expected to increase significantly during the festive period, requiring heightened surveillance and enforcement.

“FSSAI underscores the need for heightened surveillance and enforcement actions to prevent the circulation of adulterated, counterfeited and unsafe food products namely Milk and Milk products, Sweets, Snacks and Savouries including Namkeen, papad/fryuma, Edible Oil, Beverages and Ghee etc. Further, these commodities may vary and can be decided depending upon the eating patterns & prevalence in the respective regions (eg, use of kuttu atta, singhada atta in northern and western parts),” the directive stated.

FSSAI said the matter should be treated as “most important”.

Inspections and Mobile Testing Vans

FSSAI has asked Commissioners of all States and UTs to direct Designated Officers, Food Safety Officers and Central Food Safety Officers to conduct inspections and sampling in their respective areas during the festive period, particularly at identified hotspots and sensitive locations.

The food safety regulator has also directed that Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs), wherever available, be strategically deployed at prominent marketplaces or based on specific intelligence inputs to facilitate on-the-spot testing, strengthen vigilance and create awareness among consumers.

“Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs), wherever available, may be strategically deployed in prominent marketplaces and/or based on specific intelligence inputs to facilitate on-the-spot testing, strengthen vigilance, create awareness and to boost consumer trust by assuring them of safe and quality food products during the festive season,” it said.

The directive further stated that data on inspections, sampling and their outcomes must be updated and recorded on FoSCOS/FoSCORIS (Food Safety Compliance System/Food Safety Compliance through Regulatory Inspection and Sampling) on a real-time basis.

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