The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, directed food safety authorities across all states and Union Territories to sharply step up surveillance, inspections, and sampling ahead of the Navratri and Diwali festive season, citing heightened risk of adulterated, counterfeit, and unsafe food products entering the market during peak demand. The directive applies to the full supply chain of high-consumption festive items.

Why FSSAI Is Acting Now

The regulator flagged that festive periods generate significantly higher consumer demand for items such as sweets, snacks, beverages, edible oils, milk, and milk products — categories that have historically seen elevated adulteration incidents during seasonal spikes. FSSAI has treated the issue as one of 'utmost importance', directing state food safety commissioners to mobilise designated officers, food safety officers, and central food safety officers for ground-level action at identified hotspots and sensitive locations.

Key Products Under the Scanner

Authorities have been asked to place special focus on milk and milk products, sweets and savouries, edible oils, ghee, snacks, and beverages. States may also add other high-demand items based on local consumption patterns. In a post on X, FSSAI noted that regional variation matters: 'These commodities may vary and can be decided dependent upon the eating patterns and prevalence in the respective regions (e.g., use of kuttu atta/singhada atta in northern and western parts).'

Food Safety on Wheels to Cover Major Markets

The regulator has instructed authorities to deploy Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) mobile units, wherever available, at major marketplaces and other locations identified through intelligence inputs. These units will conduct on-the-spot testing, strengthen vigilance, create consumer awareness, and build public confidence in the quality and safety of festive food products. The deployment of mobile units is seen as a visible deterrent against adulteration at the retail level.

Real-Time Data Tracking Mandated

In a notable push for accountability, FSSAI has instructed officials to record and update all data related to inspections, sampling, and enforcement actions in real time on the FoSCOS and FoSCORIS digital platforms. The real-time data requirement is intended to allow central monitoring of enforcement activity across states as the festive period progresses.

What This Means for Consumers

For households purchasing sweets and dairy products in the run-up to Navratri and Diwali, the intensified inspections represent a formal safety net — though consumer groups have long argued that enforcement must be sustained year-round, not limited to festival windows. With FSW units visible at markets and digital compliance tracking in place, the current directive represents one of FSSAI's more operationally detailed festive-season mandates in recent years. All eyes are now on states' on-ground execution.