Journalism of Courage
Missing ‘best-before’ dates at Pune sweet shops raise consumer concerns
The best-before date requirement was first introduced under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
Many outlets no longer mention best-before dates after FSSAI made the labelling requirement voluntary. (Express Photo)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raids in Pune have surged recently, driven by a new online grievance portal and the statewide “Safe Food, Safe Drug, Safe Maharashtra” campaign.
But a closer look at the city’s sweet shops reveals a gap that the campaign has yet to close.
A “voluntary’ rule from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has led many shops to stop displaying the best-before date on loose sweet trays. In several places, even basic price tags are missing – leaving customers with little way to judge freshness, quality, or cost before buying.
“In the period right after the Covid pandemic, once the FSSAI mandate came into effect, it was much simpler to pick mithai based on how fresh it was. Today, barring a handful, most sweet shops no longer display the best-before date. On top of that, price tags are missing in many outlets as well. As a result, consumers are left without the information they need to judge the freshness and quality of the sweets before buying them,” said Soham Gulmire, a resident of Akurdi.
How a mandatory rule became voluntary
The best-before date requirement was first introduced under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. These were later replaced by the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which continued the practice.
However, in November 2023, FSSAI made the rule voluntary for loose or non-packaged food items, saying its scientific panel needed more time to study how such dates should be declared for products sold without packaging. Since then, most sweet shop owners in Pune have quietly stopped displaying manufacturing and best-before information.
A sweet shop owner from Akurdi, who did not wish to be named, said, “As per the revised decision, it is now up to us whether we mention the manufacturing and best-before date,” he said.
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What FDA says
Responding to the concerns, FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Digambar Bhogawade acknowledged the problem but pointed to the change in rules. “Earlier, it was mandatory to display the best-before and manufacturing date on loose sweets. But after stakeholders approached FSSAI requesting a relaxation, the directive was made voluntary. It is now difficult for us to enforce shops to display these dates. However, consumers can still file a complaint with the FDA if they feel there are quality issues,” he said.
Asked whether the state FDA had approached FSSAI to reconsider the voluntary directive, Bhogawade said the decision rested with the central authority. “FSSAI has scientific panels and representatives who deliberate extensively before finalising such decisions. Our role is to ensure those rules are implemented on the ground,” he said.
Inspections on the rise
Despite the labelling gap, FDA data shows enforcement activity has picked up pace recently. During the first quarter of FY 2026-27 (April to June), the department collected 60 samples of sweets and confectionaries and 37 samples of savouries and namkeen across Pune Division for testing. In July alone, the FDA suspended the licences of more than 20 eateries, bakeries, and dairies across the Pune division.
With the festive season approaching, the department plans to step up its inspections further. “We are going to start extensive inspections from the first week of August,” Bhogawade said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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