In view of the upcoming festive season, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed States to ramp up vigilance activities on food items such as sweets, savouries, milk and milk-related products.

It has asked State food safety commissioners and regional directors to up their ante in terms of enforcement and surveillance drives during this period to ensure that manufacturers and sellers adhere to the food safety norms.

‘Chances of adulteration rises during festive season’

The food safety authority cautioned State authorities concerned against adulteration, considering the high demand of certain items during festivals. “With reference to the ensuing festive season in the country during which demand for sweets, savouries, milk and milk products such as ghee, khoya and paneer, among others, increases and as a result of which the economic motivation to adulterate such products, to meet the rising demands of the consumer, also increases,” it stated in its order.

FSSAI said that preventive action such as carrying out special surveillance and enforcement drives, especially at hotspots of such practices can be effective to curb such practices and ensure safety of food products. Hotspots are regions where the incidence of cases of adulteration are higher than in other regions.

Stating that this matter should be treated as “most important”, the FSSAI asked state food safety commissioners and regional directors to maintain “strict vigil” on products such as sweets, savouries, milk and milk products in their respective jurisdiction during this period.

“ Frequent enforcement and surveillance drives are to be conducted to prevent any malpractices”, the food safety regulator stated.

FSSAI also asked States to leverage on the Food Safety on Wheels initiative, wherever available. “ The Food Safety on Wheels (FSW), where available, are to be positioned in the prominent markets or on the basis of specific intelligence inputs to ensure such products are safe to consume and strictly as per the respective food products standards,” the order stated. 

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