Buy sweets from shops with FDA licences

This Diwali, when you buy sweets, make sure to check if the sweet shop has a valid licence issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This Diwali, when you buy sweets, make sure to check if the sweet shop has a valid licence issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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It is mandatory for shops selling food products to have a FDA licence and registration after the enactment of the rules under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Regulation of Food Business) Act in August.

“We do not want consumers, who buys sweets, to suffer adverse effects of adulteration,” said Mahesh Zagade, state FDA commissioner. Zagade said that it was mandatory for shop owners to display the shop licence.

The Act states that shopkeepers have till August 2012 to register with the FDA. But the FDA has decided to conduct on-the spot registration drives for shops during Diwali season.

It also wants shopkeepers to deal with only licenced suppliers and distributors of raw materials for ingredients such as mava, ghee, and oil.

Before the Act came into existence, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) used to issue licences to shops in Mumbai. The BMC licences will now have to be converted to FDA license.