The Surat Municipal Corporation has inspected 27 snack shops and collected 50 samples of fafda, chutney and frying oil ahead of Dussehra, with laboratory tests to determine whether the outlets are using safe ingredients and following food-preparation standards.
The inspection drive was conducted by the civic body’s food safety department before the expected festive surge in demand for fafda, ganthiya and jalebi across the city. Dussehra marks the end of the nine-day Navratri fasting period, after which sales of the traditional Gujarati snacks typically rise sharply.
Officials collected samples of the prepared food, accompanying chutneys and the oil used for frying. All 50 samples have been sent to the public health laboratory for analysis. The civic department said action would be taken against establishments found using adulterated or substandard ingredients, with the nature of the action depending on the laboratory findings.
A food safety department official said the inspections were intended to ensure that vendors maintained proper standards during the festive rush. “During the festive rush, shops must take extra care while preparing food products. Many outlets begin making fafda one or two days in advance to meet the last-minute demand for Dussehra,” the official said.
The inspection also highlighted a preparation and storage challenge faced by some small snack outlets. Officials said certain shops operate with limited space and staff and prepare and pack fafda a day before it is sold in order to manage the additional demand. That practice makes hygiene, storage conditions and ingredient quality important parts of the safety checks, particularly when food is prepared ahead of consumption.
The drive places the municipal food safety department at the centre of managing a seasonal increase in food demand. Rather than checking only the finished product, the sampling covered the snack, its accompaniment and a key preparation input—the frying oil—allowing the laboratory process to examine multiple parts of the food chain described by the authorities.
The inspections took place before the festival, while the enforcement decision will depend on the test results. The department said the laboratory reports are expected within the next couple of days. It will then decide on further action against outlets found violating food safety requirements.
