PANAJI
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taking strict action on the central government’s April 1 notification against cigarette packaging have seized cigarettes worth Rs 8.63 crore from distributors across the State.
Acknowledging the development, FDA director Salim Veljee said “cigarette brands including Four Square, Marlboro and Gold Flake were confiscated from distributors and stockists located at Mapusa, Panaji, Verna, Zuarinagar and Sancoale.”
The Government of India through its notification under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Amendment Rules 2014 enforced compliance by all cigarette manufacturing companies on the pictorial health warning to cover at least 85 per cent of the principal display area on cigarette packs from April 1, 2016.
Accordingly, Veljee said officials of the State FDA had cracked down on major C&F agents depots,
distributors and stockists across north and south Goa on Thursday. “This crack down over such massive quantities will definitely serve as a deterrent message to all other retailers and petty kiosks and gaddas across the State to immediately remove the cigarettes from their shelves which do not conform to rules,” said Veljee.
Thursday’s raid was conducted Senior Food Safety Officer Rajiv Korde assisted by Food Safety Officer Flavia DeSouza, Yogeeta Naik, Shailesh Shenvi and Rajaram Patil in North Goa and Senior Food Safety Officer Nelson Fernandes assisted by Food Safety officer Shivdas Naik, Sharadha Kuttikar and Niranjan Naik in South Goa.
Meanwhile, vendors engaged in stocking, distribution and selling have been asked to refrain from selling cigarettes not complying with the health warning display.
