After confiscation of rotten meat, J&K govt prohibits label less packaged food

The Commissioner food and drug administration (FDA), Smita Sethi, has issued a public notice asking for mandatory compliance with FSSAI guidelines for sale of frozen raw meat, chicken and meat products

To prevent sale of sub-standard and unsafe meat, Jammu and Kashmir government has come down heavily on food vendors and businesses by issuing a slew of controlling measures, including ban on packaged food products without proper and complete label. The government said that people selling substandard meat may face a penalty of ₹5 lakh and a jail term of six years.

Since the beginning of August, Kashmir has been rattled by a series of seizures and confiscation of hundreds of kilograms of rotten, unsafe or stale meat or its products meant to be distributed to various eateries of the valley. (File)

The Commissioner food and drug administration (FDA), Smita Sethi, has issued a public notice asking for mandatory compliance with FSSAI guidelines for sale of frozen raw meat, chicken and meat products.

“In the interest of safeguarding public health and ensuring the highest standards of food safety, all Food Business Operators (FBOs) including manufacturers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, cold storage operators, transporters, and e-commerce platforms are hereby directed to strictly comply with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2020, with regard to the handling, storage, distribution, and sale of frozen raw meat, Chicken and meat products,” said the notice.

“The sale of such packaged food products without proper and complete label declaration are strictly prohibited,” the commissioner ordered.

Since the beginning of August, Kashmir has been rattled by a series of seizures and confiscation of hundreds of kilograms of rotten, unsafe or stale meat or its products meant to be distributed to various eateries of the valley.

The confiscation of the meat by authorities was triggered when the Food Safety Department, Srinagar, in coordination with the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO), found quintals of decayed meat from an industrial estate in Zakoora on the outskirts of Srinagar on July 31.

The authorities have now announced conditions of what fresh meat, chilled meat and frozen meat should entail. “The frozen meat and meat products must be stored and transported at a temperature of -18°C or below at all stages, from production to the point of sale. Short-term chilled storage at 4°C is permissible only for a maximum of two to four days prior to consumption. Products stored at -18°C or below should be consumed within 12 months from the date of freezing, All establishments must be equipped with calibrated temperature monitoring devices and must maintain accurate documentary and digital records for verification during inspections,” the notice said.

The FDA order said that all mandatory information must be accessible to consumers prior to purchase, and indicative images of the product must be displayed online. “Packaging materials must be of food-grade quality, safe, non-toxic, and compliant with FSSAI standards to prevent contamination. Besides, any product labelled as Halal certified (voluntary) must meet all FSSAI safety, hygiene, and labeling requirements,” it said.

Non-compliance to aforementioned requirements and conditions will attract strict enforcement action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “...(It) may include seizure of non compliant stock as well as monetary penalties of up to ₹5 lakh for sub standard products ( Section 51), up to ₹3 lakh for misbranded products or missing label declarations ( Section 52), up to ₹1 lakh for insanitary conditions Section 56), up to ₹2 lakhs for without FSSAI registration (Section 48). Up to ₹10 lakh without FSSAI License (Section 63 ),” the notice said.

The communication also stated that the offences involving unsafe food are punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to six years, along with a fine of up to ₹5 lakh, in terms of Section 59(ii) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “ All food business operators must immediately review and upgrade their operations, ensure complete compliance, maintain updated records, and remove or delist any non-compliant products from their outlets and online sales platforms. Failure to comply will result in swift legal action without any kind of further notice,’ the notice said.