FSSAI directs states to curb adulteration in sweets, dairy items during festivals

To check adulteration, food regulator FSSAI has asked food safety commissioners of all states and UTs to keep a strict vigil on the manufacturing and sales of sweets and dairy products during the festive season and undertake special surveillance to curb such malpractice. In a letter, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mentioned that the demand for sweets, savouries, milk and milk products like ghee, khoya and paneer increases during the festive season.

“...As a result of which the economic motivation to adulterate such products to meet the rising demands of the consumer also increases,” the regulator pointed out. In such a scenario, preventive actions, including carrying out special surveillance/enforcement drives by the Food Safety Officers/Designated Officers, especially at hot spots of such practices can be an effective tool to curb such practices while ensuring the safety of such products. “Accordingly, it is requested that strict vigil is to be kept on the manufacturing and sale of sweets, savouries, milk and milk products like ghee, khoya, paneer etc. during the ongoing festive season in your respective jurisdictions,” FSSAI said in the letter.

The frequent enforcement surveillance drives are to be conducted during the festive season to prevent any such malpractice, it added. Also, the Food Safety Safety on Wheels (FSW), where available, are to be positioned in the prominent markets and/or on the basis of specific intelligence input etc, so as to ensure that such products are safe to consume and are strictly as per the respective food products standards.