October 24th 2023.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Mumbai is on a mission to strictly enforce the Food and Safety Act by deploying 13 specialised teams to inspect sweet shops across Mumbai’s 13 zones and to collect samples for laboratory testing. As the Diwali festivities are around the corner, the FDA is on the lookout for any traces of adulteration, impure or substandard edible items.
Shailesh Adhao, Joint Commissioner of FDA, revealed that if anyone is found to be in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, they will face harsh repercussions such as imprisonment up to three months and a hefty fine ranging from Rs.2-5 lakhs. He further added that this stringent drive against substandard and adulterated food materials will be carried out even after the festival season.
A senior official on the team also spoke about the FSSAI guidelines that strictly advise shopkeepers to provide details such as manufacturing and expiry dates when selling loose or unpacked sweets. Unfortunately, many shopkeepers or manufacturers have been found to be in violation of the FSSAI norms, which is why the FDA has been instructed to take serious action and suspend their licenses.
The FDA is urging manufacturers and traders to use quality ingredients for sweets and namkeen items during this festive season. They are also monitoring the mawa coming from Gujarat. With these efforts, the FDA hopes to bring about a track and trace rule that will help to curb any spurious drugs from flooding the market.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
