Maharashtra FDA crackdown: 34,584 food samples taken up for testing between June and August, over 15,000 found below standards

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA has sharply stepped up its crackdown on substandard food drugs and cosmetics testing more than 32600 samples between June and August Over 15000 food samples were found to be not of standard quality even as the department significantly increased its monthly testing compared with 202526The FDA took up 37604 samples for testing during the three months including 34584 food samples and 3020 drug and cosmetic samples Of these 30492 food samples and 2112 drug and cosmetic samples were testedThe increase was particularly sharp compared with the previous financial year The FDA said average monthly collection of food samples rose by 340 per cent while the volume of food samples tested jumped by 435 per cent For drugs and cosmetics average monthly collection increased by 175 per cent while testing rose by 165 per centIn practical terms the FDA collected an average of 12534 samples a month between June and August and tested 10868 samples a month In 202526 its monthly averages were 3967 samples collected and 2760 testedMore than half of tested food samples fail to meet standardsThe intensified testing has also uncovered a substantial number of food samples that did not meet prescribed standardsOf the 30492 food samples tested 15332 were found to meet the required quality standards while 15160 were declared not of standard quality NSQ Of the NSQ food samples 15055 were enforcement samples and 105 were surveillance samplesAmong the drug and cosmetic samples tested 2004 met the required standards while 108 were found to be noncompliant These included eight spurious samples 93 NSQ samples and seven misbranded productsThe FDA has initiated legal action against the manufacturers and distributors concerned under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and its rules and regulations as well as the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945FDA expands checks on food drug supply chainThe increased testing is part of the FDAs wider regulatory drive to keep unsafe and substandard products off the market The department said it is also conducting riskbased inspections of manufacturers and distributors market surveillance complaint investigations and enforcement action under its Safe Food Safe Drug Safe Maharashtra campaignMaharashtra has three drugtesting laboratories and three foodtesting laboratories in Mumbai Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur Food samples are also sent to the State Public Health Laboratory in Pune The FDA said all its foodtesting laboratories are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories NABLFor comparison the FDA collected 47600 food drug and cosmetic samples for testing during the entire 202526 financial year of which 33119 were testedFDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department was maintaining continuous surveillance to protect public healthldquoAlong with sample testing the Food and Drug Administration Maharashtra State is continuously monitoring riskbased inspections of manufacturers and distributors market surveillance enforcement complaint inquiries and necessary criminal action to protect citizens health Strict legal action will be taken against those involved in manufacturing and distribution systems if substandard fake adulterated or illegal products pose a threat to public healthrdquo Mundhe said