FDCA’s food safety drive

During the first 4 days of the Food Safety Fortnight, 2,279 suspected samples of foodstuff have been collected from different cities. Moreover, activities like enforcement, awareness, training have been organised by offices of the food and drug regulatory authority.

As the state relishes the late night outings during Navratri, the health department of Gujarat has organised ‘Food Safety Fortnight’ to prevent adulteration of food and take action against the offenders. 

In the first four days of the fortnight, the department has seized 32,000 kg of food items including milk, milk products, and edible oil, which they found to be adulterated, in 1,170 raids, worth more than ₹1.73 crore.

These include 672 enforcement samples and 1,607 surveillance samples, totalling 2,279 samples, and 14 raids on milk products and sweets.

In Nadiad, at Jai Ambe Spices, the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) seized 2,600 kg of adulterated black pepper worth more than ₹9 lakh.

Under the initiative,  public awareness programmes have also been conducted by Food Safety on Wheels at various places during Navratri.

Moreover, training activities, licence-registration camps were also organised by offices of the FDCA where more than 900 traders have registered.

On the third day, 150 awareness programmes and 70 training sessions for students at schools and colleges were organised.