As India prepares for the upcoming festive season, food safety authorities are stepping up surveillance to protect consumers from adulterated, counterfeit and unsafe food products.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed food safety authorities across states and Union Territories to intensify inspections and enforcement activities during the festive period. The move comes as demand for sweets, dairy products, ghee, edible oils, snacks, savouries and beverages typically rises sharply around festivals such as Navratri and Diwali.
Why Food Safety Becomes More Important During Festivals
Festivals bring a significant increase in food production, sales and consumption. While this creates opportunities for food businesses, the sudden rise in demand can also increase the risk of adulteration, mislabelling, poor storage and unhygienic handling.
Products receiving particular attention include:
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Milk and dairy products such as paneer, khoa and ghee
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Traditional sweets
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Namkeen and other savouries
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Papad and fryums
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Edible oils
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Beverages
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Other locally popular food products
FSSAI has also highlighted that enforcement priorities can vary according to regional consumption patterns.
Increased Inspections and Food Sampling
Under the special festive drive, enforcement officials are expected to conduct inspections and collect food samples from relevant establishments and market areas.
Food Safety Officers, Designated Officers and Central Food Safety Officers will focus on locations identified as food-safety hotspots or sensitive areas. The objective is to identify potential violations and prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers.
For food businesses, this makes proper documentation, hygiene, storage and sourcing particularly important during the high-demand festive period.
Food Safety on Wheels for On-the-Spot Testing
One of the important components of the initiative is the strategic deployment of Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) mobile laboratories.
These mobile testing facilities can be deployed in prominent markets and other locations to support on-the-spot food testing. The initiative is intended to strengthen surveillance, improve public awareness and increase consumer confidence in food safety.
Greater Focus on Hygiene and Compliance
Food safety is not limited to detecting adulteration. Food businesses must also pay attention to hygienic handling, appropriate storage conditions, labelling and regulatory compliance.
Recent enforcement activities across India have highlighted issues such as expired food products, improper storage, inadequate labelling and unhygienic food-handling conditions.
For manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and other food businesses, maintaining consistent food safety practices is therefore essential—not only during festivals but throughout the year.
What Food Businesses Should Prioritise
Businesses operating during the festive season can strengthen their food safety practices by focusing on:
1. Quality Raw Materials
Purchase ingredients and food products from reliable and compliant suppliers.
2. Proper Storage
Maintain appropriate storage conditions and regularly check expiry and best-before dates.
3. Hygienic Handling
Keep preparation, storage and serving areas clean and ensure food is handled appropriately.
4. Correct Labelling
Ensure packaged products comply with applicable food labelling requirements.
5. Documentation and Traceability
Maintain relevant purchase records, supplier information and food safety documentation.
6. Regulatory Compliance
Ensure the business has the required FSSAI registration or licence and follows applicable food safety requirements.
A Safer Festive Season Requires Everyone’s Participation
The festive season is a time when consumers purchase and share large quantities of food. Strong regulatory enforcement can help identify unsafe practices, but food safety ultimately requires cooperation across the entire food supply chain.
Manufacturers, food businesses, retailers and consumers all have a role to play in ensuring that the food reaching Indian households is safe and meets the required quality and regulatory standards.
The latest FSSAI drive reinforces an important message: food safety should remain a priority even when demand is at its highest.
Conclusion
FSSAI’s intensified festive-season surveillance is aimed at reducing the circulation of adulterated and unsafe food products at a time when food consumption increases significantly.
With inspections, sampling, mobile testing facilities and greater enforcement, the initiative is designed to strengthen food safety oversight across India. For food businesses, the festive season is also an opportunity to demonstrate responsible sourcing, good hygiene and strong compliance practices.
For consumers, it is a reminder to purchase food from reliable sources and pay attention to product quality, packaging, labelling and freshness.
