Nagpur: In a major move to strengthen food safety standards across the State, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an extensive enforcement drive under its ‘Safe Food, Healthy Maharashtra’ campaign, introducing stringent compliance norms for food establishments and warning of severe action against violators.
As part of the initiative, the FDA has prohibited the serving or packaging of food in newspapers and printed paper, citing potential health hazards from printing ink and contamination. The directive applies to hotels, restaurants, dhabas, caterers, cloud kitchens, street food vendors and online food delivery operators across Maharashtra.
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FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has made it clear that businesses compromising public health through unsafe or unhygienic food practices will face strict penalties, including prosecution, heavy fines, suspension or cancellation of licences, and even closure of establishments.
The crackdown follows a series of inspections that reportedly uncovered serious food safety violations, including food preparation in unhygienic conditions, repeated use of cooking oil beyond permissible limits, improper food storage, lack of temperature control, pest infestations and deployment of food handlers without mandatory health clearances.
Under the new guidelines, all food business operators must possess a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and display it prominently at their establishments. They are also required to comply with FSSAI’s Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) programme to prevent the repeated use of cooking oil that can pose health risks.
The FDA has further directed food establishments to ensure that employees undergo periodic medical examinations and receive Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) training. Businesses have also been instructed to adopt scientific food handling practices, including FIFO (First In, First Out) inventory management and the use of colour-coded chopping boards to prevent cross-contamination.
In a consumer-friendly measure, restaurants and eateries must provide free and safe drinking water to customers and display notices in both Marathi and English informing patrons about the facility. The FDA clarified that while bottled water can be sold as an optional product, it cannot replace the obligation to provide free drinking water.
The new compliance framework also requires restaurants to display calorie counts, nutritional information and allergen details on menus. Food businesses with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 50 crore will be required to undergo annual Food Safety Management System (FSMS) audits.
The FDA has warned that violations involving unsafe food could attract severe punishment under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. If consumption of unsafe food leads to a person’s death, offenders can face a minimum prison term of seven years, extendable to life imprisonment, along with a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh. Cases involving grievous injury or serious health consequences can attract imprisonment of up to six years and fines of up to Rs 5 lakh.
According to reports, nearly 4.5 lakh food establishments across Maharashtra will be covered under the inspection drive. Officials will conduct extensive checks to ensure compliance with food storage, preparation, hygiene and handling norms.
The State-wide campaign comes amid growing concerns over food safety violations and aims to improve hygiene standards, protect consumers and ensure that food served across Maharashtra meets prescribed safety benchmarks.
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