PULWAMA: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), J&K, has sealed a packaged drinking water unit at the Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) Lassipora in Pulwama after finding it operating without a valid FSSAI licence for processing and packaging drinking water.
Officials from the Food Safety department told rising kashmir that the action was taken following a specific complaint against M/s Swat Industries, which was processing and marketing packaged drinking water under the brand name “ICY Wave.”
During the inspection, officials found that the FSSAI licence number displayed on the bottles — 1102547000051 — was not issued for packaged drinking water. The licence was reportedly obtained for the wholesale/retail business of fruits and vegetables and did not cover the processing or packaging of drinking water.
The Food Safety team also lifted two samples of the packaged water for laboratory examination.
Following the alleged violations, the premises were sealed and operations suspended. A Show Cause Notice was issued to the person-in-charge/representative of the firm, seeking an explanation within three days.
Under Section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, food businesses requiring a licence must obtain the appropriate licence for their operations. Operating a food business without the requisite licence can attract action under Section 63, which provides for a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh.
The FDA has initiated proceedings for filing a complaint/prosecution before the competent court under the relevant provisions of the food safety law.
The action comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of packaged drinking water, which has been classified as a High Risk Food Category, requiring enhanced compliance and monitoring.
Further action is expected after the laboratory examination of the samples and completion of the regulatory proceedings.
