FSSAI urges states to intensify food safety checks before Navratri and Diwali

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sent a directive to all states and Union Territories, labeling the upcoming Navratri and Diwali season as a critical period for food safety. The agency noted that consumption of sweets, savouries, beverages, edible oil, and dairy items such as ghee, khoa and paneer spikes sharply during festivals, raising the risk of adulterated or counterfeit products. It instructed Food Safety Officers and Central Food Safety Officers to concentrate inspections on hot spots and sensitive locations, and to strategically deploy Food Safety on Wheels vehicles for on-site testing.

The regulator also mandated that all inspection, sampling, and outcome data be uploaded instantly to the FoSCoS and FoSCoRIS systems. Regional variations in food habits, such as the use of kuttu atta and singhada atta in northern and western areas, were cited as factors for tailoring the focus. The move aims to boost consumer confidence and curb unsafe food circulation during the high-demand period.