SRINAGAR: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed food safety authorities across states and Union territories to intensify inspections, sampling and enforcement measures during the upcoming Navratri and Diwali festive period to prevent the sale of adulterated, counterfeit and unsafe food.
In a directive dated September 29, FSSAI said the seasonal surge in demand for sweets, savouries, beverages, edible oils and milk and milk products such as ghee, khoa and paneer warranted heightened surveillance.
The authority has asked Commissioners of all states and UTs and its regional directors to direct Designated Officers, Food Safety Officers and Central Food Safety Officers to conduct inspections and sampling in their respective jurisdictions, particularly at identified hotspots and sensitive locations.
FSSAI said the enforcement drive should focus on commodities including milk and milk products, sweets, snacks and savouries, namkeen, papad and fryums, edible oil, beverages and ghee. It also said the products covered could be varied according to regional consumption patterns, citing the use of kutu atta and singhada atta in northern and western parts of the country.
The authority has further directed that Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs), wherever available, be strategically deployed at prominent marketplaces or in response to specific intelligence inputs. The mobile units are intended to facilitate on-the-spot testing, strengthen surveillance, create consumer awareness and help assure the public about food safety and quality during the festive season.
FSSAI has also made it mandatory for inspection, sampling and outcome data to be recorded and updated on the FoSCoS/FoSCoRIS platforms in real time.
The directive, issued by FSSAI Executive Director (CS) Amit Sharma, has been marked “MOST IMPORTANT” and circulated to the concerned authorities for necessary action.
