MAPUSA
In an early morning surveillance drive at the Mapusa Interstate Bus Stand, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Goa, detained several food consignments arriving from outside the State due to violations of food safety norms.
The FDA team carried out spot inspections to verify the quality, labelling, and compliance of food articles brought in by various distributors. Compared to previous inspections, authorities noted a marked improvement among several Food Business Operators (FBOs), particularly in maintaining cold chain logistics and appropriate labelling of goods.
However, several violations were also detected during the operation. Items detained include: 25 kg of fruit purée, 10 boxes of near-expiry chocolates, energy drinks with improper labelling, and unlabelled fried onions (birista). FDA officials withheld these items from distribution in the interest of public health and collected samples for further analysis.
In addition, one distributor, previously warned for operating without a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) registration, was found continuing operations in violation of the law. He was fined Rs 5,000 under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
Further, the FDA team also shut down one restaurant located within the Mapusa bus stand premises for operating under unhygienic conditions, posing a health risk to the public. The inspection team comprised Richard Noronha, Rajaram Patil, Amit Mandrekar, and Darlan Diukar. FDA officials have reiterated their commitment to routine inspections and strict enforcement to ensure the safety of food consumed by the public.
