Srinagar: With the demand for sweets and other festive delicacies expected to increase ahead of Diwali, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), J&K, intensified its enforcement and sampling activities across Jammu Division to ensure food safety, maintain prescribed quality standards and prevent food adulteration during the festive season. As part of the special festive enforcement-cum-sampling drive, food safety teams conducted inspections and lifted samples from various food business establishments across Jammu Division. A total of 56 food samples were lifted, including samples of sweets, paneer, khoya, savouries and other food commodities.
During the drive, approximately 500 kg of sweets including Rasgulla, having an estimated value of ₹79,500, were destroyed to prevent their sale and consumption, as the food items were found unfit for consumption.
The enforcement teams also initiated legal proceedings against food business operators found violating the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, particularly the sanitary and hygienic requirements prescribed under Schedule IV of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
As part of the enforcement action, two food business licences and two registrations were suspended for violations of the prescribed food safety requirements. Further, 11 challans were recommended under Section 56 of the Act, which provides for a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh for unhygienic or unsanitary processing or manufacturing of food. Additionally, four cases were compounded.
The special drive covered Jammu Municipal Limits, Jammu Rural, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch districts. The enforcement teams focused on checking the quality and safety of sweets and other festive food items, ensuring hygienic conditions at food establishments and preventing the sale of adulterated or substandard food products.
FDA, J&K, reiterated its commitment to protecting public health and ensuring compliance with food safety standards. The Department has advised food business operators to maintain proper hygiene, adhere to prescribed food safety requirements and ensure that only safe and wholesome food is offered for sale.
Consumers have also been urged to purchase sweets and other food items from licensed establishments, check product labels and report any suspected cases of food adulteration to the concerned Food Safety authorities.
