Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized 398 tonnes of adulterated or unsafe food stock valued at ₹64.45 crore in a sweeping state-wide enforcement drive ahead of Diwali 2025. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Thursday, 5 November disclosed the crackdown's scale while issuing a detailed public safety advisory for festive food purchases.

Scale of the Enforcement Drive

The intensified campaign ran from 1 September to 3 November, covering a two-month window that coincides with peak festive demand for sweets, khoya, and dairy products. During this period, FDA officials inspected 9,667 food establishments and penalised 4,603 businesses for compliance violations. A total of 8,835 food samples were collected and sent for laboratory analysis, and 954 business licences were suspended as part of the action.

Key Safety Guidelines for Consumers

Commissioner Mundhe urged citizens to buy sweets in quantities sufficient only for two to three days of consumption rather than stockpiling them in refrigerators. He specifically cautioned against khoya-based sweets that have been on open display in shops for more than two to three days, noting the heightened risk of spoilage and adulteration in such products.

The FDA has directed the public to purchase sweets and milk products exclusively from licensed establishments displaying a valid FDA licence. Consumers are advised to carefully inspect packaging details — including manufacturing dates, expiry dates, and ingredient labelling — on packaged sweets, khoya, gift hampers, chocolates, and cakes. Unlabelled, expired, or excessively brightly coloured products, and those treated with harsh chemical dyes, should be strictly avoided. Only permitted natural colours within prescribed safety limits are legally authorised for food preparation, the commissioner noted.

How to Spot Fake Silver Foil on Sweets

Addressing a common concern around festive sweets, Commissioner Mundhe offered a practical field test for consumers checking the authenticity of silver or gold foil. 'Special care must be taken with sweets adorned with silver or gold foil. To verify authenticity, rub a piece of the foil on your hand; if it dissolves seamlessly, it is genuine silver. If it rolls up into a foil-like sheet, it is aluminium, and strict legal action will be taken against vendors using aluminium substitutes,' he warned. Aluminium foil substitutes pose a documented health hazard and are prohibited under food safety regulations.

Ghee, Oils, and Packaged Milk Under the Scanner

The FDA commissioner recommended purchasing packaged milk over loose or raw alternatives, citing contamination risks. He affirmed that zero tolerance would be maintained regarding animal fat or chemical adulteration in ghee and edible oils. Restaurant operators and street food vendors have been strictly instructed to stop the repeated reuse of frying oils, a practice widely associated with the formation of harmful trans fats and carcinogens.

How to Report Violations

Commissioner Mundhe called on citizens to actively participate in an adulteration-free Diwali by reporting any suspicious activity or quality defects in milk, edible oils, sweets, khoya, or namkeen directly to the FDA for prompt legal action. This drive follows a broader national pattern of heightened food safety enforcement during the festive season, when demand spikes create conditions that unscrupulous traders have historically exploited. With the festival days now imminent, the regulator's public advisory is likely to be followed by continued field inspections through the week.