38 cases compounded, ₹50,500 fine imposed; 92 awareness sessions held and 75 cooking-oil samples tested
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Oct 6: The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has conducted a Union Territory-wide enforcement, inspection and awareness drive targeting street food vendors, with officials inspecting 395 vendors across all districts to strengthen compliance with food safety and hygiene standards and safeguard consumers from unsafe and unhygienic food.
The comprehensive drive focused on various aspects of food safety, including personal hygiene of food handlers, cleanliness and sanitary conditions at vending sites, safe handling and storage of food items, use of food-grade utensils and packaging materials, and proper management of cooking oil.
During the enforcement exercise, the FDA compounded 38 cases under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a cumulative fine of ₹50,500 imposed in these cases.
In addition, 68 cases were recommended for appropriate statutory action before the concerned Adjudicating Authorities, including Additional Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts. The cases were recommended on the basis of the nature and gravity of violations detected during inspections.
Of the 68 cases recommended for statutory action, 39 cases were booked under Section 56 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which deals with unhygienic or insanitary processing or manufacturing of food and carries a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh.
Another 29 cases were recommended under Section 58, concerning contraventions involving the use of non-food-grade utensils or packaging materials. Such violations can attract a penalty of up to ₹2 lakh, as prescribed under the Act.
The enforcement teams also destroyed approximately 130 kilograms of unsuitable food and snack articles during the drive, following the prescribed procedure.
Focus on hygiene and safe food handling
While enforcement remained a major component of the campaign, the FDA also placed considerable emphasis on education and behavioural change among street food vendors.
As part of the initiative, 92 awareness and sensitisation sessions were conducted across Jammu and Kashmir. Vendors were educated about the importance of maintaining personal hygiene, keeping vending premises clean and sanitary, and adopting safe food handling and storage practices.
The vendors were also advised to use only food-grade utensils and packaging materials and to avoid materials that are not approved for contact with food.
Particular emphasis was placed on the practice of wrapping or serving food in newspapers, which officials cautioned vendors against. The awareness sessions also highlighted the need to avoid unauthorised synthetic food colours and prevent cross-contamination during the preparation, handling and serving of food.
The FDA also sensitised vendors about the proper management and disposal of used cooking oil, an issue of particular significance in the street food sector where the same oil can potentially be reused repeatedly.
75 cooking-oil samples tested
A significant component of the UT-wide campaign was the testing of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) through Digital Oil Testing Meters.
During the drive, 75 samples of cooking oil were tested on the spot, with all 75 samples found to be within the permissible range. No instance of Total Polar Compounds (TPC) exceeding the prescribed limit of 25 per cent was reported during the inspections.
The testing initiative was aimed at promoting responsible cooking-oil management among vendors and discouraging the repeated use of cooking oil after it has undergone excessive degradation.
The FDA’s intervention comes against the backdrop of the large and growing role played by street food vendors in the daily food supply chain. Street vendors provide affordable food to a large section of the population and offer a wide range of local and traditional food items. Ensuring that such food is prepared, stored and served under hygienic conditions is therefore an important component of consumer protection.
The administration has advised street food vendors to proactively comply with food safety and hygiene requirements and cooperate with enforcement officials during inspections and awareness programmes.
The UT-wide campaign has consequently combined regulatory enforcement with preventive awareness, seeking not only to identify violations and initiate action but also to encourage vendors to adopt safer food-handling practices.
The FDA has also urged consumers to remain vigilant and report any suspected case involving unsafe or adulterated food products.
Consumers can lodge complaints through the toll-free helpline 104 or email the Food Safety authorities at [email protected].
