Maharashtra FDA food safety order not a curb on festival celebrations: Tukaram Mundhe

After months of a crackdown on food adulteration, the FDA recently introduced a year-round "Festival Enforcement Calendar" to systematically check food adulteration during festivals. Mundhe said there appeared to be "some misunderstanding and apprehension" about the standing order issued for food-safety arrangements during festivals.

He said the present order does not create a new law, impose a new licencing regime, or introduce fresh restrictions on festivals. He said festival-related food-safety directions were often issued separately as individual festivals approached.

What Happened

The latest order, he said, creates a standing framework for the full year, covering festivals and large gatherings across communities and religions. The objective, according to Mundhe, is to ensure that officers, vendors, caterers, food business operators and organisers are clear about.

• Mundhe said the legal framework on food safety, including registration and licencing of Food Business Operators, has been in place since 2011 and has been operational for years.

• The objective is not to restrict celebration but to prevent illness.

• It is a uniform, year-round SOP for implementing the existing food-safety framework, applicable without discrimination to all communities, all festivals and all food-service activities.

Key Details

He said no religious or cultural activity is being prohibited by the order.

• Mundhe added that the order does not prevent communities from organising their festivals, regulating how people celebrate, or imposing any new legal requirement specifically on festivals.

• The order does not prohibit bhandaras, prasad or community food distribution, Ganapati or other religious festivals, and does not interfere with religious rituals or traditions, he said.

• He said the latest SOP is religion-neutral and festival-neutral, with no discrimination between festivals or communities.

Why It Matters

"This reduces ambiguity, prevents arbitrary interpretation and ensures consistent implementation of the law," the senior IAS officer said.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge