Muskan Thakur
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sep 3: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has ramped up enforcement action against food business operators found flouting labelling norms and food safety regulations, with multiple establishments in Kupwara and Budgam now facing legal proceedings over irregularities in meat and meat products.
A team led by the Deputy Commissioner Food Safety, Kashmir, inspected the Hospital Canteen in Kupwara and found that the operator had failed to declare the nature or type of meat being served to consumers — a clear violation of labelling requirements. A show-cause notice has been issued, and the case has been forwarded to the Adjudicating Officer, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, for further action.
In a separate inspection, the FDA team raided the premises of M/s Paak Foods at Regipora, Kupwara, owned by Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh, where similar labelling violations came to light. A notice has been served, and a formal complaint is set to be filed before the competent court under Sections 52 and 53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The trail did not end there. Investigators traced the flagged products back to the manufacturing unit of M/s Paak Foods at Wahdatpora in Budgam, prompting a follow-up inspection by local Food Safety authorities. A closer look at the packaging revealed that a product sold as “Minced Kabab” was misbranded and misleadingly labelled, in direct violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
Acting on the findings, the FDA has filed a formal complaint before the Adjudicating Officer, Budgam, against Amjad Ali Bhat, proprietor of M/s Paak Foods, Wahdatpora, invoking Sections 52 and 53 of the Act.
The stakes are steep: Section 52 penalises misbranding with fines that can go up to Rs 3 lakh, while Section 53 — which deals with misleading advertisements — carries a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh.
The FDA, J&K, issued a stern warning that misbranding, misleading labelling, misrepresentation of food products, and other violations of prescribed food safety norms will be dealt with strictly under the law. Field officers have been directed to stay vigilant and act swiftly against violators to enforce compliance and protect consumer health across the Union Territory. |
