FSSAI intensifies food safety push as India heads into festival season

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued fresh guidelines to state food safety commissioners, urging them to strengthen enforcement operations in the run-up to the festive season. The initiative focuses on bolstering surveillance in high-risk areas where food safety violations are most prevalent.

Under the new directive, enforcement officials have been instructed to prioritise inspections at identified hotspots including markets, street food vendors, and wholesale distribution centres. The regulator has also emphasised the deployment of Food Safety on Wheels vehicles—mobile inspection and testing units—to conduct on-site checks and quality assessments in busy commercial areas.

A key component of the drive is the real-time documentation of all inspection activities. States have been asked to ensure that field data is recorded digitally and uploaded to centralised systems without delay, enabling better coordination and faster response to potential violations. This digital approach is intended to improve transparency and accountability across enforcement agencies.

The push comes as festive shopping and consumption patterns typically increase foodborne illness risks due to higher volumes of perishable goods in circulation and crowded retail environments. By strengthening pre-festive surveillance, the FSSAI aims to mitigate public health risks and ensure that food products reaching consumers meet safety standards.