Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a large-scale food safety campaign ahead of the festive season to curb adulteration and safeguard public health.
Under the initiative “Festival of Maharashtra – Commitment to Food Safety”, officials have already inspected 1,594 sweet shops across the state and collected 2,369 food samples for laboratory testing, FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal confirmed.
The inspection covers milk, khoya, ghee, edible oils, sweets, dry fruits, and chocolates. Out of 554 sample reports received so far, 513 were found safe, 26 substandard, four had labeling defects, while 11 were deemed unsafe for consumption. Reports on 1,815 samples are still awaited.
To strengthen enforcement, the FDA has recruited over 200 Assistant Commissioners and Food Safety Officers, with a proposal for 750 more posts awaiting approval. New testing laboratories in Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Pune are also ready for inauguration, supported by ₹200 crore funding sanctioned by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
The minister added that the milk adulteration inspection campaign will be intensified. He also warned that drug sellers failing to pass on GST reductions to consumers would face strict action, reaffirming the state’s commitment to consumer protection during the festive season.
