Overview
- Officials have inspected 1,594 establishments statewide and collected 2,369 samples focused on sweets, dairy products, edible oils, dry fruits and chocolates.
- Of 554 samples tested so far, 513 met standards, 26 were substandard, four had labelling defects and 11 were unsafe, with reports on 1,815 samples pending.
- Food-testing laboratories in Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune are complete and awaiting inauguration to expand throughput.
- The FDA has recruited over 200 officers since 2022, while proposals seek 750 additional enforcement posts and 250 lab positions to strengthen capacity.
- Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar approved Rs 200 crore for laboratory upgrades, and the FDA warned drug and food retailers to pass on GST-driven price reductions.