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SRINAGAR: The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), J&K, conducted a focused UT-wide special enforcement drive on milk and milk products with a view to ensuring the quality and safety of milk being sold to consumers across Jammu & Kashmir.
During the drive, Food Safety teams conducted 213 inspections of retail milk vendors across various districts and lifted 170 enforcement samples of loose milk for testing of prescribed quality and safety parameters through NABL-accredited Food Testing Laboratories.
The enforcement samples were lifted from different areas of Jammu, Samba, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Udhampur, Kathua, Srinagar, Anantnag, Bandipora, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama. In addition, 10 samples of other high-risk food commodities were also lifted for quality and safety testing.
Milk and milk products, being highly perishable and widely consumed food commodities, have been accorded priority under the enforcement and surveillance activities of FDA. The special drive was undertaken to maintain regulatory oversight over the quality and safety of milk and milk products available in the market.
Further, during the drive, three Food Business Operators (FBOs) were compounded under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and a penalty of ₹5,000 was imposed for violations observed during enforcement activities. Five Improvement Notices were issued to Food Business Operators for rectification of deficiencies relating to sanitary and hygienic requirements noticed during inspections.
The Food & Drugs Administration has reiterated that such focused enforcement and sampling drives shall continue across the Union Territory, particularly in respect of high-risk food commodities like Meat & Meat products, Sweets, Bakery products, and appropriate action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 shall be initiated against Food Business Operators found violating the prescribed food safety standards.
Consumers have been advised to remain vigilant while purchasing milk and milk products and to report any suspected instance of unsafe, adulterated or substandard food through Toll-Free Helpline No. 104 or by email at cfsjandk.fnd@jk.gov.in.
