In a major push to tighten food safety enforcement in Maharashtra, the Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Kamala Vardhana Rao, IAS, has mandated 100% inspection of all Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) facilities across the state. The directive was issued during a detailed review meeting held at ITCFSAN, Mumbai, FSSAI’s premier training and capacity-building institute.
Rao further emphasized the need for bi-annual compliance checks at all such units to protect public health and maintain high safety standards. He also stressed consistent enforcement across all sectors and reinforced the importance of hygiene training for street food vendors, aligning with the Eat Right India movement.
The CEO appreciated the Maharashtra FDA’s ongoing FoSTaC training programs for Anganwadi workers and vendors, and urged replication of the model across the country. He also called for rapid deployment of Mobile Food Testing Vans to improve field surveillance.
Officials from both central and state enforcement bodies participated, including Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Rajesh J Narvekar, senior Joint Commissioners, Licensing Authorities from Thane and Konkan, and Pritee Chaudhary, Director, FSSAI Western Region.
A key highlight of the meeting was the announcement of 194 newly appointed Food Safety Officers (FSOs), whose induction on World Food Safety Day is set to enhance inspection, licensing, and enforcement at the grassroots level across Maharashtra.
Additionally, the “Eat Right Place of Worship” certification was recently awarded to Swamy Samarth Trust and the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, acknowledging their commitment to safe food practices.
The meeting concluded with a strong resolution to build a culture of compliance and reinforce food safety from temples to tap water bottlers ensuring the public’s health remains top priority.