Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized 398 tonnes of adulterated or unsafe food products valued at ₹64.45 crore during a statewide enforcement drive ahead of Diwali, while urging consumers to check labels, buy from licensed shops and avoid old or brightly coloured sweets.
The action was carried out between 1 September and 3 November, when FDA officials inspected 9,667 food establishments and collected 8,835 food samples for laboratory testing, according to figures presented by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The department also imposed fines on 4,603 businesses and suspended 954 commercial licences for violations.
The enforcement drive comes ahead of the festival period, when demand for sweets, milk products, khoya, edible oils, gift hampers, chocolates and cakes rises sharply. The FDA has advised consumers to purchase these products only from recognised establishments displaying a valid FDA licence.
Mundhe advised people to buy only the quantity of sweets likely to be consumed within two or three days instead of storing them for long periods in refrigerators. Consumers have also been warned against buying khoya-based sweets that appear to have been kept in shops for more than two or three days.
The department said buyers should check the manufacturing date, expiry date and labelling on packaged sweets, khoya, gift hampers, chocolates and cakes. It advised consumers to avoid products that are unlabelled, past their expiry date, unusually dark or brightly coloured, or made with potentially harmful chemical colours. According to the FDA’s guidance, only permitted natural colours within prescribed safety limits may be used in food preparation.
The use of decorative foil, or varakh, on sweets has also been highlighted. Mundhe said consumers should be particularly cautious with sweets decorated with silver or gold foil. The FDA’s stated identification method is to rub a piece of foil on the hand: according to the advice reported by the department, genuine silver foil should dissolve, while aluminium foil may fold or remain as a layer. The FDA has warned that sellers using aluminium foil on sweets could face legal action.
The commissioner also advised consumers to choose packaged milk rather than loose or raw milk. The FDA said it would follow a zero-tolerance approach towards adulteration of ghee and edible oils with animal fat or chemicals. Restaurants and roadside food vendors have been instructed not to reuse frying oil repeatedly.
The enforcement figures show the scale of the regulatory challenge during a high-demand period: inspections covered thousands of establishments, but laboratory testing and follow-up action remain central to determining whether seized products violated food-safety standards. The FDA has asked consumers to report suspected quality problems or suspicious activity involving milk, edible oils, sweets, khoya or savouries so that action can be taken promptly.
The department’s next step is to continue inspections, laboratory testing and legal action against businesses found violating food-safety requirements during the festival season.
