Gujarat Health Minister of State Praful Panseriya has directed the Food and Drugs Department and health officials across the state to take strict action against establishments manufacturing or selling adulterated food products, including registering FIRs in cases involving tampering with sealed food items.
Panseriya issued the directions during a virtual meeting with officials from Surat while visiting the city. Officials from all districts participated in the meeting, which reviewed enforcement measures, food-sampling drives and preparedness of emergency services.
The minister cited cases involving duplicate ghee and adulterated ingredients in products such as analogue paneer, cheese, butter, tomato sauce, mango juice and palm oil. He stressed that enforcement agencies must act against manufacturers whose products mislead consumers or fail to meet prescribed standards.
A specific concern raised during the meeting was the sale of products labelled as “ghee” despite containing palm oil. Panseriya said manufacturers involved in such practices would face legal action and that no producer found engaging in them would be spared.
The directions place responsibility on district-level officials to strengthen sampling and enforcement across the food supply chain. The Food and Drugs Department and health officials are expected to identify establishments, collect samples and act against products found to be adulterated or misleadingly labelled, based on the applicable procedures.
Panseriya also directed officials to ensure strict compliance with hygiene standards and standard operating procedures at hotels, restaurants and food streets. The instruction expands the focus beyond packaged products to premises where food is prepared, handled and served to the public.
The minister further called for police assistance in cases where sealed food products are tampered with. FIRs should be registered against those found involved in such violations, he said. The report did not specify the number of inspections, samples collected, establishments identified or FIRs registered following the meeting.
The state-wide review comes as food-safety enforcement agencies prepare to coordinate action across districts. The next operational steps are expected to include sampling drives, inspections of food establishments and action against manufacturers or sellers found violating food-safety and labelling requirements.
