Srinagar, September 10 :The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has intensified its food safety enforcement efforts across the Union Territory, with 35 out of 455 packaged food samples found non-compliant with prescribed labelling requirements during a special inspection drive.
The enforcement exercise was conducted across all districts of J&K with a focus on ensuring compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
During the drive, officials scrutinised a wide range of packaged food products, including spices, edible oils, dairy products, bakery and confectionery items, honey, rice, beverages, coffee, dry fruits and other food articles.
According to officials, the inspection focused on mandatory declarations on food labels, including the name and nature of the food, ingredients, nutritional information, batch or lot number, date of manufacture or packing, Best Before/Expiry Date, MRP, manufacturer or packer details, FSSAI Licence/Registration Number and vegetarian/non-vegetarian logo, among other requirements.
Following the identification of deficiencies, the FDA issued notices to the concerned Food Business Operators (FBOs), directing them to rectify the violations within the stipulated period. Officials said further action would be initiated under law if the deficiencies were not addressed within the prescribed timeframe.
The department also scrutinised health, nutritional and other claims appearing on food labels under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. FBOs were directed to remove or rectify claims found to be misleading or inconsistent with applicable regulations.
Officials said that where violations are established, penal action would be initiated under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Under Section 52 of the Act, misbranding of food can attract a penalty of up to ₹3 lakh, while Section 53 provides for a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh for misleading advertisements. Section 61, relating to furnishing false information, provides for a penalty that may extend to ₹10 lakh.
The concerned Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers have been directed to ensure compliance by the Food Business Operators and initiate further proceedings, including adjudication or prosecution, wherever warranted.
The FDA said the enforcement drive is part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen food regulatory compliance and protect consumers by ensuring that food products sold in the market carry accurate, complete and legally prescribed information.
