SRINAGAR: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in Jammu and Kashmir has issued a directive to all food business operators, including hotels, restaurants, cafes, sweet shops, bakeries, and caterers, mandating the prominent display of food safety information boards and clear specification of the type of meat used in food preparations.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the advisory, issued in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, aims to ensure transparency and provide consumers with accurate information to make informed choices. The Act and its associated regulations place a statutory responsibility on food business operators to guarantee that food sold is safe, correctly represented, and not misleading.
As per the new guidelines, all establishments are required to prominently display a food safety display board at a conspicuous location within their premises. Additionally, food businesses must provide separate lists detailing food items prepared using ghee, edible oil, vanaspati, and other edible fats. Every food business operator offering cooked or prepared food for sale must also exhibit a notice clearly indicating the nature of the food articles being sold.
The FDA’s advisory further stipulates that the Food Safety Information Board should prominently feature the establishment’s FSSAI license number and customer care number. For businesses serving meat or meat products, a crucial directive is to clearly specify the exact type of meat used in each preparation.
This disclosure must explicitly state whether a dish contains mutton, beef, chicken, fish, or any other specific type of meat. The information is to be presented on menu cards, food safety information boards, display counters, or menu displays, as applicable. The department has urged food businesses to move away from generic descriptions such as “Meat Curry,” “Meat Biryani,” “Meat Kebab,” or “Non-Vegetarian” and instead provide precise details of the meat content.
The information provided to consumers must be accurate, easily legible, and clearly visible, and it needs to be consistently updated to facilitate informed decision-making. Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers have been instructed by the FDA to disseminate this advisory to food business operators within their respective jurisdictions. They are also tasked with verifying compliance during routine inspections conducted under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The department has issued a stern warning that failure to comply with the applicable provisions of the Act, rules, and regulations will result in appropriate legal action being taken against the non-compliant establishments.
The Chenab Times News Desk