New Delhi, September 13
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated a special drive to ensure the safety and quality of food items during the festive season.
As per the official statement by FSSAI, it has instructed Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers across the country to maintain strict surveillance over the manufacturing and sale of sweets, savouries, and dairy products such as milk, ghee, khoya, and paneer products within their respective jurisdictions. This step aims to prevent adulteration practices that could compromise the health of consumers.
On the rising demand of products during festive season, FSSAI said "In such a scenario, the preventive actions, including carrying out special surveillance / enforcement drives by the Food Safety Officers / Designated Officers, especially at hot spots of such practices under their respective jurisdictions, can be an effective tool to curb such practices while ensuring safety of such products."
As part of the initiative, FSSAI has also urged state and local authorities to conduct frequent enforcement and surveillance drives, focussing on hotspots where such malpractices are more likely to occur.
It noted that these drives are expected to serve as a deterrent to those who may attempt to adulterate food products to meet the heightened festive demand.
In addition to these efforts, FSSAI has also directed the use of Food Safety on Wheels (FSW), a mobile food testing laboratory, to be positioned in prominent markets or areas where intelligence reports indicate a higher likelihood of adulteration.
These mobile units are equipped to conduct on-the-spot checks, ensuring that the sweets, savouries, and dairy products available in the market meet the required food safety standards. This proactive approach aims to ensure that consumers can enjoy safe and healthy food during the festive season.
Every year as the country enters the festive season, the demand for sweets, savouries, and dairy products such as milk, ghee, khoya, and paneer witness a significant surge. However, with this rise in demand, there is also an increased risk of adulteration in these products as manufacturers strive to meet consumer needs.