Overview

• Officials have inspected 1,594 establishments statewide and collected 2,369 food samples under the ‘Festival of Maharashtra – Commitment to Food Safety’ campaign.
• Of 554 reports returned, 513 samples met standards, 26 were substandard, four had labelling defects, and 11 were unsafe, with 1,815 results pending.
• Completed food testing labs in Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune await inauguration, supported by Rs 200 crore sanctioned for laboratory infrastructure by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
• The FDA has filled over 200 Assistant Commissioner and Food Safety Officer posts since 2022 and has proposed 750 new FDA positions plus 250 lab posts to sustain enforcement.
• Inspections target milk, khoya, ghee, edible oils, sweets, dry fruits and chocolates, and the minister warned of action against sellers who fail to pass on GST-driven price reductions.