Latest news with #FSSAct
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Food safety norm violations galore in Andhra's Nellore district
NELLORE: Several hotels and eateries in Nellore have been under scrutiny for violating food safety norms, with officials uncovering unhygienic conditions including rotten meat and pest infestations during recent inspections. The crackdown was intensified after a customer found a cockroach in their food at a hotel near the RTC bus stand. In a subsequent raid near the Madras Bus Stand, food safety officials discovered fungus-infested and rotten meat in a non-vegetarian restaurant. Nellore has nearly 25,000 hotels and street food vendors, more than half of which are operating without proper licences or approvals, as per officials. In recent checks, 296 establishments were inspected, leading to criminal cases against 15 hotels for severe violations. Notices were served to 20 others for failing to meet basic safety standards. Another 15 vendors were booked for not displaying mandatory information about the food being sold. A major challenge in enforcement remains the lack of a food testing laboratory in AP, forcing authorities to send samples to Hyderabad — a delay that hampers swift action. 'The absence of regular inspections is encouraging unsafe food practices. Immediate action is needed to safeguard public health,' a spokesperson from consumer rights group said. The Food Safety Department has issued guidelines to all food set ups, stressing the need for sanitation, pest control and clean water usage storage. Assistant Food Controller G Venkateswara Rao warned that negligence could lead to severe health risks and strict legal action under the FSS Act.
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Food Authority Warns Online Platforms: Follow Safety Rules Or "Face Action"
In India, consumption of food - from groceries to cooked dishes - is increasingly being driven by e-commerce platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, BigBasket, Amazon Fresh, etc. It is important to strengthen food safety and hygiene practices in this rapidly expanding e-commerce marketplace. In a meeting on Tuesday, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO told representatives of leading e-commerce platforms to emphasise food safety and strictly follow "food safety and hygiene protocols or face action". Any non-compliance will be viewed with utmost seriousness, potentially leading to severe action, FSSAI shared in the latest release. The meeting was held at FSSAI headquarters in New Delhi and was attended by over 70 representatives from leading e-commerce platforms. Here Are Some Crucial Directives Issued To The E-Commerce Platforms: 1. Displaying Crucial Information On Receipts All e-commerce entities are directed to prominently display their FSSAI License/Registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash memo provided to consumers. They were also asked to display information regarding the Food Safety Connect App on all consumer-facing documents. The possibility of displaying the "Date of Expiry/Use By" for food products at the consumer interface was also discussed. 2. Disclosing Details Of Warehouses And Storage Facilities E-commerce entities must disclose comprehensive details of all warehouses and storage facilities linked to their operations on the FOSCOS portal. 3. Strict Adherence To Hygiene And Food Safety Protocols The FSSAI CEO instructed all e-commerce platforms to adhere strictly to hygiene and food safety protocols across all their warehouses and storage facilities, ensuring that photographs of these facilities are regularly uploaded to the FOSCOS portal. 4. Compulsory Training Of All Food Handlers All food handlers involved in the process, including e-commerce personnel, must undergo compulsory FSSAI FOSTaC (Food Safety Training & Certification) training in hygiene protocols. Platforms are required to share their training plans and timelines with FSSAI. 5. Transparency And Compliance With The Food Safety Authority Platforms are expected to meticulously follow all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and rules stipulated under the FSS Act. The necessity for all warehouses associated with e-commerce operations to be duly registered or licensed by FSSAI was strongly reiterated. E-commerce platforms were also directed to share data pertaining to their warehouses, food handlers, and other relevant information with the FSSAI, thereby ensuring enhanced transparency and compliance. The FSSAI emphasised that food safety is a collective responsibility, and every entity involved in the supply chain, from manufacturing to home delivery, is liable for compliance. A collaborative approach is essential to ensure the entire process is extremely safe for consumers.
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Business Standard
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
FSSAI warns e-comm players against non-compliance with food safety norms
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Tuesday warned e-commerce platforms of severe action if they fail to comply with food safety protocols, according to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI). The warning was given at a meeting chaired by FSSAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) G Kamala Vardhana Rao, with more than 70 representatives of leading e-commerce platforms. The focus of the meeting was to strengthen food safety and hygiene practices throughout the e-commerce food supply chain. Strict action According to a statement, FSSAI's CEO told representatives of leading e-commerce platforms that 'any non-compliance with food safety protocols will be viewed with utmost seriousness, potentially leading to severe action'. Licence numbers on every receipt Rao directed 'all e-commerce entities to prominently display their FSSAI licence/registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash memo provided to consumers'. The regulator asked them to display information regarding the Food Safety Connect app on all consumer-facing documents. E-commerce entities were told to disclose details of all warehouses and storage facilities linked to their operations on the FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) portal. The possibility of displaying the 'Date of Expiry/Use By' for food products at the consumer interface was also discussed. Training in hygiene All food handlers involved in the process, including e-commerce personnel, must undergo compulsory FSSAI FoSTaC (Food Safety Training & Certification) training in hygiene protocols. Platforms are required to share their training plans and timelines with the FSSAI. The regulator asked platforms to follow all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and rules stipulated under the FSS Act. All warehouses associated with e-commerce operations should be registered or licensed by the FSSAI. E-commerce platforms were directed to share data pertaining to their warehouses, food handlers, and other relevant information with the FSSAI. Raids on dark stores Earlier in June, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted raids on the dark stores of quick-commerce player Zepto in Mumbai's Dharavi and suspended its licence, citing 'serious food safety violations'. Similarly, a Blinkit dark store in Pune's Baner-Balewadi area was suspended for allegedly operating without a valid licence.
Hans India
02-07-2025
- Hans India
Fake sauce unit unearthed in Berhampur
Berhampur: In a crackdown on food adulteration racket, Bada Bazar police unearthed a fake sauce production unit at Pichpichia Nagar in Berhampur. The illegal unit, run under the guise of Anmol Food Products, shocked authorities with the sheer volume of spurious and potentially hazardous food items being churned out. Led by Bada Bazar police station in coordination with Food Safety officials from Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), the team raided a two-storied building stocked with a staggering quantity of fake tomato sauce, chili sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, pickles and spice products. The premises were littered with drums of artificial colouring agents, acidic liquids, jerry cans filled with suspect tomato pastes and packaging materials bearing the name 'Anmol'. The accused was identified as Prasanta Kumar Panigrahi (48), a resident of Jagannath Vihar 2nd Lane. During the raid, he failed to produce any licence or documentation for his operations. Preliminary investigations revealed that the food products were being manufactured in blatant violation of health and safety standards, involving non-edible and harmful substances disguised as food ingredients. Police have registered a case under sections of FSS Act, 2006, and Section 16 of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The entire stock of suspicious goods has been seized and samples have been sent to the Food Testing Laboratory for chemical examination. The accused has been arrested and will be forwarded to court. Further investigation into the supply chain and distribution network is underway. This major bust has raised serious public health concerns, and authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such illicit food manufacturing units operating under the guise of familiar brand names.
New Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Production of appam, aravana at Sabarimala must comply with food-safety standards, FSSAI tells Kerala HC
KOCHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed the Kerala High Court that Sabarimala Sannidhanam, as a food business operator (FBO), must comply with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act in the production of appam and aravana. It stated that any non-compliance would lead to action against the FBO in accordance with the act's provisions. It also clarified that appam falls under the 'prepared food' category. The affidavit was filed in response to petitions filed by Dr Mahendra Kumar P S and others concerning the safety of prasadam distributed to devotees at Sabarimala. The court had previously directed the food safety department to ensure that the moisture content in the appam and aravana prasadam at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple remained within the standard limit of 10%. Analysis of appam samples collected on November 14, 15, and 19, last year, revealed that the moisture content exceeded this standard limit, necessitating immediate corrective action to prevent potential health hazards. The affidavit added that under various sections of the FSS Act, temples or religious institutions offering food or prasadam are classified as FBOs. It clarified that an 'FBO' is a person who carries on or owns a food business and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the act and its regulations. FSSAI also informed the court that an inspection conducted six months ago at the Pamba premises in Sabarimala, following a controversy over production, highlighted several concerning issues. These included dust, cobwebs, and food particles in production and storage areas, lack of handwashing stations at key production areas, chipped floor tiles, flaking paint on walls, and windows without pest-proofing.
