SRINAGAR: The Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has conducted 106 inspections and collected 152 food samples during a special enforcement drive across 12 districts of the Union Territory to strengthen food safety surveillance.
The drive covered Jammu, Srinagar, Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri, Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Pulwama, Bandipora and Baramulla. It focused on sweets, prepared food, particularly meat and meat products, and other high-risk food items to check compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
According to the FDA, Food Safety Officers collected 66 samples of sweets, 71 samples of prepared food, mainly meat and meat products, and 15 samples of other food commodities. All samples have been sent to NABL-accredited food testing laboratories for analysis to determine whether they meet prescribed food safety standards.
During the inspections, food business operators were directed to comply with food safety and hygiene regulations and maintain prescribed standards of sanitation and quality.
The FDA said it had recently prohibited the sale of certain affected batches of ghee, tea and sauce and urged consumers to remain vigilant. Members of the public have been asked to report the sale or availability of such products, or any suspected cases of unsafe, adulterated or misbranded food, through the toll-free helpline 104 or by emailing [email protected].
