Onlykashmir.in News Desk
SRINAGAR: The Food and Drugs Administration of Jammu and Kashmir has stepped up enforcement against unsafe street food, inspecting 95 vendors in a drive across Jammu Division that paired regulatory action with awareness campaigns. The department said the exercise was aimed at ensuring safe and hygienic food for consumers and promoting compliance with food safety standards.
The results of the drive were notable. Eleven cases were compounded and fines totalling ₹16,000 were imposed for violations of prescribed food safety requirements. A further 19 cases were recommended for adjudication under Sections 56 and 58 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. These will go before the competent Adjudicating Officers, the Additional Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts.
Inspectors found unhygienic food-handling practices, along with the use of prohibited or unsuitable materials for packaging and serving food. In one specific action, 10 kg of newspapers and 20 kg of snacks were destroyed on the spot by the food business operators concerned, and a fine of ₹4,000 was imposed for the violations detected. Newspaper is widely used to wrap fried and oily snacks, a habit that food safety regulators have repeatedly warned against because of the risk of ink and contaminants transferring to food. The department said further regulatory action was initiated wherever warranted under the applicable provisions of law.
Alongside enforcement, the department organised 17 awareness sessions for vendors. These covered safe food-handling practices, personal hygiene, sanitation and statutory compliance. Vendors were reminded of the importance of keeping premises clean, preventing contamination, using only food-grade materials for packaging and serving, and storing and handling food properly. They were also sensitised to their legal responsibilities under the Food Safety and Standards Act and the role of hygienic practice in preventing foodborne illness.
The Food and Drugs Administration reiterated that food safety demands both strict enforcement and sustained awareness among food business operators. It urged street food vendors to maintain the prescribed sanitary and hygienic conditions and to ensure that everything offered for sale is safe and wholesome. The department said it will continue coordinated inspection, awareness and enforcement activities across the Union Territory, with appropriate legal action against violations of food safety norms.
Consumers have also been given a role. The department encouraged the public to help safeguard health by reporting suspected food adulteration, unsafe food or unhygienic handling practices by email at cfsjandk.fnd@jk.gov.in. For the many residents who rely on street vendors for daily meals, such reporting can help regulators act quickly where standards slip.
