Maharashtra FDA finds compliance issues at nearly half of 12,000 food establishments inspected
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The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected nearly 12,000 food-sector establishments across the state over about 100 days, with more than 5,200 receiving improvement notices and 603 licences being suspended for non-compliance.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told NDTV the inspections covered different parts of the food industry, including milk and milk products, hotels and restaurants.
Mundhe said improvement notices were issued when inspections found non-compliances or deficiencies that required correction. The 603 licence suspensions were linked to violations of requirements under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, which he described as “non-negotiable”.
The number of establishments receiving improvement notices or having their licences suspended comes to around 5,800, or close to half of those inspected. Mundhe noted that more than half of the businesses inspected were found to be complying, while the extent of non-compliance varied across locations.
However, Mundhe said the findings should not be viewed only as a food safety issue. “I think we have to look at it not as a food safety issue but a public health issue,” he said.
He said India's regulatory approach had earlier focused largely on preventing food adulteration, but the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 shifted the focus towards standards for safe and standardised food. According to Mundhe, this also required changes in the practices of food business operators.
Mundhe also urged consumers to pay greater attention to their regular food choices, particularly foods high in fat, salt and sugar. He linked long-term dietary habits to public health concerns including obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and high blood pressure.
He further advised consumers buying packaged food to examine ingredient lists rather than relying mainly on brand names, prices and best-before or expiry dates. “Not looking at the ingredients... is causing a lot of issues,” he said.