SRINAGAR: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday said it conducted 118 inspections of food business establishments and collected 54 food samples for laboratory testing to assess their quality and safety.
The agency also collected 16 surveillance samples from Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres to verify the quality and safety of food being served to beneficiaries. During the inspections, three improvement notices were issued to food business operators for deficiencies detected by inspection teams.
According to the FDA, the inspections are part of its ongoing drive to strengthen food safety standards and ensure compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The department said that from July 1 to July 24, it has carried out 1,642 inspections across Jammu and Kashmir. During this period, it collected 878 enforcement samples and 223 surveillance samples for laboratory analysis.
The samples include 250 of milk and milk products, 217 of oils and fats, 178 of cereals and cereal products, and 243 of spices, besides samples of other food commodities. A total of 89 improvement notices have also been issued to food business operators during the period.
The FDA has appealed to consumers to report suspected cases of unsafe or adulterated food through its toll-free helpline 104 or by email at [email protected].
