Srinagar, Sep 10: The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), J&K conducted a special enforcement drive across all districts of the Union Territory to examine compliance with the prescribed requirements relating to labelling and display of food products.
During the drive, 455 food samples were scrutinized, 35 samples were found non-compliant with the prescribed labelling requirements. Notices have been issued to the concerned Food Business Operators (FBOs), to rectify the deficiencies within the stipulated period. Further action shall be taken in accordance with law in case of non-compliance.
The scrutiny was carried out with reference to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and covered packaged food products including spices, edible oils, dairy products, bakery and confectionery items, honey, rice, beverages, coffee, dry fruits and other food articles. The labels were examined for compliance with mandatory declarations, including name and nature of the food, ingredients, nutritional information, batch/lot number, date of manufacture/packing, Best Before/Expiry Date, MRP, details of the manufacturer/packer, FSSAI License/Registration Number, vegetarian/non-vegetarian logo and other prescribed declarations.
The scrutiny also covered health, nutritional and other claims appearing on food labels with reference to the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. The concerned FBOs were directed to remove or rectify claims found to be misleading or not in conformity with the applicable regulatory requirements.
Where violations are established, penal action shall be taken under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Section 52 provides for a penalty which may extend to ₹3 lakh for misbranded food, while Section 53 provides for a penalty which may extend to ₹10 lakh for misleading advertisements. Section 61 for furnishing false information provides for a penalty which may extend to ₹10 lakh. .
The Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers concerned have been directed to ensure compliance by the FBOs and initiate further proceedings, including adjudication or prosecution, wherever warranted under the provisions of the Act.