Maharashtra needs 1,100 food safety officers but has only 130 on field, 194 in training; impossible to inspect every eatery: FDA Commissioner

Q. Adulteration in milk, paneer, oil, and mawa is a big concern ahead of Diwali. What measures has the FDA taken this festive season?

Narvekar: Every year, we conduct a festival drive. The percentage of unsafe or substandard products is generally not more than 6 per cent. This year, too, we conducted a 75-day festival drive from August 11 to October 12. We collected over 4,600 samples across Maharashtra — including 642 of milk, 303 of khoya, 372 of ghee, 868 of mithai, and 247 of dry fruits.

We received 993 analysis reports from our labs. Out of these, 49 cases were of serious concern, and those establishments have been suspended (five in Mumbai and 15 in Konkan). We also issued improvement notices to 1,400 others. As per procedure, when minor discrepancies are found, we issue improvement notices and reverify after 15 days.

Q. Last year, we saw a surge in FDA action, with restaurants across the city being inspected and raided. What’s the situation like today?

Narvekar: In Maharashtra, we have almost 11 lakh food business operators (FBOs) who are either licensed or registered — the highest in India. To give a comparison, Uttar Pradesh has about 6.5 lakh FBOs. In Mumbai alone, there are 4 lakh FBOs. So, it’s not possible to inspect every single one.

We have 350 food safety officer (FSO) posts for the entire state, and last year, only 130 FSOs were on the field; the remaining posts were vacant. After the appointment of Narhari Zirwal (Minister for Food and Drugs Administration, Maharashtra) and minister Yogesh Kadam and with the support of our Secretary, Dheeraj Kumar, we approached the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), submitted our requirements, and they conducted the examination and interviews on priority.

Subsequently, on June 7 i.e. World Food Safety Day, 194 FSOs joined the FDA, Maharashtra. They are currently undergoing training, and by November, they will be assigned independent duties.

As per the auditor general’s recommendation and the Government of India’s guidelines, there should be one FSO for every 1,000 FBOs. By that calculation, Maharashtra needs at least 1,100 FSOs. However, our current sanctioned strength is only 350. We have now requested approval for 300 additional FSOs since it’s unrealistic to expect an immediate jump to 1,100.

Q. How often do you conduct inspections?

Narvekar: As per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms, high-risk businesses — such as those dealing with meat, poultry, and milk — must be inspected once a year. Other categories are inspected once every two years. We adhere to it.

Q. What steps have you taken to improve the quality and hygiene of street food in Mumbai?

Narvekar: We are implementing the FSSAI and Government of India’s Eat Right campaign. Under this, there’s a special focus on food safety training. Over the past few years, we’ve been training street vendors and women’s self-help groups (SHGs). Last year, we trained around 25,000 street vendors. This year, our target is one lakh vendors by March 2026. In August, we held a special training session at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Mumbai, focusing on women SHGs who are active in cloud kitchens and seasonal businesses such as modaks during Ganpati and farsan during Dussehra and Diwali.

We guided them on hygiene practices, like using headgear and gloves, and precautions while purchasing raw materials. The opening session included 500 women, and training is continuing across all districts and regional headquarters in Maharashtra.

Q. Many fruits, especially apples, have a shiny wax coating. Is that wax safe to eat? Does the FDA check how fruits are treated before they reach consumers?

Narvekar: Yes, we specifically monitor this at the APMC market in Vashi. Our FSOs in that area take cognisance of such issues. Consumers should avoid apples with visible wax coating and ensure they buy unwaxed fruit.

Q. Many packaged foods make tall claims — ‘organic,’ ‘natural,’ ‘sugar-free,’ or ‘mango drink’ with barely any mango. What’s being done to prevent misleading food marketing and labelling?

Narvekar: Whenever there’s misleading information or claims, we take strict action. However, consumers also need to be cautious and check ingredients because we can’t verify every product/outlet.

For instance, there was controversy around ‘fake paneer.’ There’s no such thing, it’s actually a cheese analogue, which the Government of India permitted in 2021. It doesn’t contain milk and is widely used in Europe, even preferred by vegans. The issue arises when traders sell cheese analogues as paneer.

Two years ago, there was an issue with McDonald’s using analogue cheese without disclosing it. Three months ago, we issued a circular and met with industry associations, directing them to clearly mention or display if they’re using cheese analogue.

We’ve also recommended to the Government of India that analogue and paneer should have visibly different colours or packaging for easier identification. This is under serious consideration, and we may soon see such differentiation.

Q. There’s also been a boom in cloud kitchens, how is the FDA monitoring them?

Narvekar: After Covid, cloud kitchens have grown rapidly. We’ve requested the FSSAI to create a separate licensing category for cloud kitchens since they currently fall under home catering. It’s difficult to inspect them as many operate from homes.

In June, we conducted a major drive covering Swiggy, Zomato, and BlinkIt kitchens. We suspended some licenses, mandated improvements, and later revoked suspensions once compliance was ensured.

However, given the vast number of FBOs and limited staff, FDA alone cannot monitor everything. Consumers must remain alert, and traders must act responsibly — food adulteration is a serious crime that harms many lives.

Q. Protein powders and supplements are everywhere — in gyms, online, and local stores. How does the FDA check if these products are genuine and safe?

Narvekar: We haven’t started inspecting this segment yet, though it’s a concern. We’re currently upgrading our labs and expanding human resources. Earlier, only 130 officers were on the field; soon, 350 will be. This means more samples and, therefore, a need for better lab capacity.

Currently, Maharashtra has three labs — in Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), and Nagpur. New labs in Pune, Nashik, and Yavatmal are under construction and will be operational by March 2026. The government has also approved Rs 20 crore for new equipment. The upgrade in equipment and human resources will help us tackle this segment.

Q. Cosmetic and wellness clinics are mushrooming across Mumbai. How do you ensure safety and truth in their claims?

Narvekar: The clinics haven’t come to our attention yet, I am certain the health department is looking into this. However, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, our regulatory control currently extends only to manufacturing.

We’ve requested the Government of India to grant us powers to inspect cosmetic products at the retail level because many cheaper ones are harmful. For instance, several such products are sold in Crawford Market, and we currently have no authority over them.

Q. If someone suspects that a food item or medicine is unsafe, how can they report it?

Narvekar: People can call our toll-free number 1800222365 or send an email to comm.fda-mah@nic.in. We have a 24×7 helpline. We’re also integrating new technology — if a grievance is registered but not resolved in time, it will automatically escalate to the Joint Commissioner.