With the onset of the festive season, the demand for sweets, khoya, paneer, ghee, edible oils, farsan, semolina, flour, besan, maida and dry fruits increases significantly. This also raises the risk of adulteration, affecting the quality and safety of food items. To curb this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a special drive ahead of Ganeshotsav.
Since August 11, officials have inspected 42 establishments and collected 55 food samples for analysis. During this action, the FDA destroyed 218 kg of fake paneer and 478 litres of milk found to be substandard.
The campaign, titled “Festival of Maharashtra, Commitment to Food Safety”, will continue till October 25, covering Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali.
On August 25, a joint operation by the FDA and Mumbai Police in Antop Hill revealed the sale of paneer-like food items labelled as “cheese analog” without proper labelling. Samples were seized for testing, and stock worth ₹54,625 (218 kg) was destroyed.
Similarly, on August 19, a raid in Dahisar (East) led to the seizure and destruction of 478 litres of milk from various companies, valued at ₹29,277. All collected samples have been sent to laboratories for testing. Further action will be taken once reports are received.
The FDA has advised citizens to be cautious while buying sweets. Customers must check for details such as batch number, lot number, manufacturing and expiry dates, FSSAI license and registration numbers on packaging. Bills should always be collected, and items without proper information must be avoided. Sweets should be consumed quickly and buyers must ensure freshness before purchase.
FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Mangesh Mane has urged citizens to participate actively in ensuring food safety. He appealed that if anyone finds substandard khoya, paneer or any adulterated food product, they should immediately report it to the FDA through the toll-free helpline 1800-222-365.