Careful what you feed yourself during festive days

Representational images. Pic/iStock

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is all set to increase inspection, as we zoom into festive season. Reports state there the are more than one lakh sweet shops in Mumbai and the joint commissioner, FDA, says every one of them will be inspected, in order to prevent food adulteration.

The FDA has issued an advisory for sweets manufacturers and sellers. During the festival season the demand for mithai is high, so there are chances of adulteration and low-quality food being produced and sold. So increased testing is on the anvil.

Fines will be levied in case expiry dates are not on the product. The top officials stated that a medical test for every worker is also mandatory. Workers should be free from any infections and skin diseases.

This is welcome news and top officials must ensure the element of surprise. While sweets are a hot seller of course, there are also savoury snacks that fly off the shelves as these festivals are for feasting. Bringing them under this increased surveillance and action is a good idea.

There are several products that are sold after expiry, as many customers are not bothered enough to read the fine print. At times, even if they notice this, they simply trash the food at home, rather than taking it up with the shop owner. At times, the seller has cleverly tampered with the date or even hidden it by sticking something on top.

Food officials must also ensure that though there is an uptick during festive season, these checks are on through the year, to keep sellers on their toes. Hygiene not only of workers, but premises, too, must be optimum. Let us stress these factors and ensure that we are not dismissive as these are certainly not small or flip issues but can have significant ramifications on health.