New Delhi: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing a dedicated enforcement mechanism for the upcoming festive season, with inspections and regulatory action planned before, during and after the celebrations, Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said recently.
Speaking at a ‘Meet the Press’ event organised by the Mumbai Press Club, Mundhe said the FDA would issue an order detailing the measures within the next few days. The system, he said, would focus on ensuring that food is prepared and supplied only by licensed operators and that prescribed safety standards are followed.
"We are putting the system in place for the festive season. Wait for a day or two; you will get that order. We are ensuring that nothing untoward happens. It is not about any particular festival, but more about only license holders should get to make and supply food," he noted.
Mundhe also urged people to be mindful of their food choices during the festive period, particularly when it comes to high-fat, salty and sugary (HFSS) products.
"Even during the festive season, avoid HFSS -- high-fat, salty and sugary foods. Take them only in limited quantities. Don't overeat. It is not really good for you. You should enjoy your health," the 2005-batch IAS officer maintained.
FDA widens checks around schools
The commissioner said restrictions on the sale, advertising, production, transportation and storage of HFSS products around schools have been in place since 2020, with implementation beginning across India in 2021.
"HFSS products have been restricted around schools. They cannot be sold, advertised, produced, transported or stored within the prescribed area," the FDA chief clarified.
According to Mundhe, schools have also modified their menus following the regulations, with the FDA receiving hundreds of letters and emails supporting the move.
"The larger issue is the health of children. We need to develop healthy and nutritious food habits among children. Such habits will support their physical, mental, intellectual and emotional growth," he stated.
The FDA is also inspecting suppliers involved in the midday meal programme and testing food products. Mundhe said one licence had already been suspended.
Central kitchens supplying food to schools and anganwadis have also been inspected, with samples collected for testing. He said an order on balanced diets in schools had been issued across Maharashtra and inspections would continue.
"The order has now been issued across Maharashtra and the work is ongoing," he said, adding that a minimum number of samples would be collected every month and schools and anganwadis would be inspected at least twice a year.
Same rules for mahaprasad, bhandaras and restaurants
Mundhe said food safety regulations would apply equally to food served during religious events, including mahaprasad and bhandaras during the Ganesh festival.
"It is not about 'mahaprasad', it is not about 'bhandaras'. It is about regulation," said the FDA chief.
He said every food business operator (FBO), regardless of the nature or reputation of the establishment, was required to have the appropriate registration or licence and follow prescribed standards.
"Wherever there are food businesses without a licence, without standards or without following the required protocols, they are violating the regulations. Whether it is prestigious or not prestigious, it does not matter," said the bureaucrat.
The same standards, Mundhe said, would apply to street vendors, restaurants and hotels, including five-star establishments.
"Whether it is street food, a restaurant, a five-star hotel or a three-star hotel does not matter. I don't discriminate in any food serving establishments. We go as per the regulations and standards. The food has to be safe and the prescribed processes have to be followed," he emphasised.
The FDA’s focus, he said, is on food safety, compliance with prescribed processes and the quality of raw materials rather than the status of an establishment.
"We do not decide whether street food is good or a five-star hotel is good. We go by the regulations and the standards," he opined.
Mundhe also said the same approach was being applied to government and private establishments.
"It is not about government or private. From our perspective, it is an FBO -- a Food Business Operator. There is no category called government FBO and private FBO. An FBO is an FBO," Mundhe asserted.
More than 115 government and semi-government establishments have been inspected in recent weeks, he said, adding that licences of 20 to 25 establishments had been suspended for multiple violations.
FDA explains checks on medicines
On medicines, Mundhe said the quantity claimed on a medicine strip could be verified through testing when there were doubts about its contents.
"Whatever is claimed on the medicine is expected to be there. If it says 5 mg, that quantity has to be present," he stated.
A medicine that fails to meet prescribed standards can be classified as substandard, misbranded or spurious, depending on the nature of the violation, with regulatory action following accordingly.
Mundhe also said the FDA does not distinguish between generic and non-generic medicines when assessing compliance.
"Generic medicines have the same formulations. There is no difference in efficacy simply because a medicine is generic," he said.
The regulator’s focus remains on compliance with prescribed quality standards, with action taken against medicines found to be substandard, misbranded or spurious.
BI Bureau
