Strictly follow Food Safety Act, Kashmir traders warned after 13K-kg rotten meat seizure

Following the confiscation of nearly 13,000 kg of meat and related products during enforcement drives this month, Jammu and Kashmir authorities have asked food business operators to ensure compliance, warning violators would face strict legal action.

This month, most of the seizures were carried out in the Valley where officials discovered large quantities of rotten mutton, chicken and other meat items. Many of those were without proper labelling, sourcing details or packaging information.

The revelations have sparked alarm and disrupted business for many local eateries and restaurants.

A notice issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Food and Drug Administration has said in the interest of safeguarding public health and ensuring the highest standards of food safety, all Food Business Operators (FBOs) including manufacturers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, cold storage operators, transporters and e-commerce platforms are hereby directed to strictly comply with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2020 with regard to the “handling, storage, distribution and sale of frozen raw meat, chicken and meat products.”

“The sale of such packaged food products without proper and complete label declaration are strictly prohibited,” it said.

It said in accordance with the packaging and labelling regulations, every package of frozen meat/ chicken must display the mandatory particulars clearly and legibly.

The department said that for products sold through e-commerce platforms, the shelf life at the time of delivery must be not less than 30 per cent of the total shelf life or a minimum of 45 days before expiry, whichever is earlier.

It said offences involving unsafe food are punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to six years, along with a fine of up to Rs 75 lakh, in terms of Section 59(iii) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The Food Department has said that all FBOs must immediately “review/ upgrade their operations, ensure complete compliance, maintain updated records and remove or delist any non-compliant products from their outlets and online sales platforms.”

“Failure to comply will result in swift legal action without any kind of further notice,” it said.