SRINAGAR: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has collected 170 enforcement samples of loose milk from across the Union Territory as part of a special drive to verify the quality and safety of milk being sold to consumers.
According to the FDA, Food Safety teams carried out 213 inspections of retail milk vendors during the enforcement campaign and collected the samples for testing at NABL-accredited Food Testing Laboratories. The samples will be examined against prescribed quality and safety standards under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The drive covered multiple districts, including Jammu, Samba, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Udhampur, Kathua, Srinagar, Anantnag, Bandipora, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama. Besides loose milk, the teams also collected 10 samples of other high-risk food commodities for quality and safety analysis.
The FDA said milk and milk products have been prioritised under its enforcement and surveillance programme because they are widely consumed and highly perishable. The special inspection campaign was aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight and ensuring that safe and quality milk is available to consumers across the Union Territory.
During the inspections, three Food Business Operators (FBOs) were compounded under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and fined Rs 5,000 for violations detected during enforcement activities. The department also issued five Improvement Notices to FBOs directing them to rectify deficiencies related to sanitary and hygienic conditions.
The FDA said similar enforcement and sampling drives would continue across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly for high-risk food categories such as meat and meat products, sweets and bakery items. It warned that action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, would be taken against Food Business Operators found violating prescribed food safety standards.
The administration also urged consumers to remain vigilant while purchasing milk and milk products and to report suspected cases of unsafe, adulterated or substandard food through its toll-free helpline 104 or by email at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
