Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 6: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced a comprehensive year-round enforcement framework to curb food adulteration and ensure food safety during religious and cultural festivals, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said.

The standing order aims to standardise food safety inspections across festivals and regions, eliminating the need for separate orders for individual celebrations.

Mundhe said the demand for sweets, paneer, ghee, dry fruits, meat and other food products rises sharply during festivals, increasing the possibility of adulteration and sale of unsafe food.

“There are many upcoming festivals in India. This may also increase the rate of adulteration during this period. This affects the customers,” Mundhe said.

He said the FDA has prepared a complete calendar for the year based on the level of food-safety risk associated with different festivals. Major celebrations such as Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Diwali, Eid, Christmas and New Year’s Eve have been placed in the highest-risk category.

The second category includes festivals and occasions such as Makar Sankranti, Mahashivratri, Holi, Gudhipadwa, Ashadhi and Kartik Wari, Shravan month, Janmashtami, Kojagiri Poornima and Guru Nanak Jayanti.

The enforcement programme will be carried out in four phases. The first phase will involve mapping, formation of teams and advance arrangements for laboratories and resources. The second phase will focus on checking food and goods in transit, followed by inspections on the actual festival day. The fourth phase will involve filing cases wherever violations are detected.

The FDA will conduct focused inspections of meat, bakery products, ice and packaged drinking water during occasions such as Ramadan, Eid and Christmas. Imported food products will also be scrutinised.

Mundhe said targeted action would be taken against practices such as the illegal chemical ripening of fruits, particularly around Akshaya Tritiya.

Bakery products will receive special attention during Christmas, while ice and packaged drinking water will be tested to ensure they meet food safety standards.

The FDA will also monitor mass food distribution programmes such as bhandaras and langars. Officials will visit such locations to check whether food is being prepared and distributed in accordance with food safety regulations.

Mundhe said the standing order was designed to cover all religions and geographical regions and prevent food-related incidents during major festivities.

He described the framework as a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, with the objective of ensuring systematic and continuous food safety enforcement throughout the year rather than relying on festival-specific directives.