Pune: The annual Food and Drug Administration (FDA) campaign to prevent food adulteration in Diwali sweets and essential ingredients faces delays this year due to the deployment of FDA officials and staff for election-related duties.

With sweets, khoya, paneer, ghee, and cooking oils prone to adulteration during the festive season, this inspection drive is crucial for ensuring the availability of unadulterated food products for the public.

Typically, the FDA leads a special initiative every Diwali to monitor and control food adulteration, protecting consumers from low-quality or contaminated food.

This year, however, the department is challenged by reduced manpower, with many officials and employees assigned election responsibilities. Due to these constraints, FDA personnel must now juggle election work with their regular duties, raising concerns over their ability to effectively enforce food quality standards.

The FDA advises consumers to verify batch and lot numbers, expiration dates, and relevant registration numbers on food labels before making purchases.

Sweets should be consumed soon after purchase, and buyers should check for freshness to avoid possible health risks. Additionally, the FDA encourages customers to ask for receipts as a safeguard against fraud. For any quality-related issues, consumers may file complaints through the FDA’s toll-free number, 1800222365.

Producers are instructed to maintain a clean environment, use drinking water for preparations, and obtain raw materials only from licensed suppliers.

Cooking utensils should be sanitized and kept covered, while storage areas should have proper mesh coverings to prevent contamination. Producers should also ensure that their workers are free from contagious illnesses, with regular health checks as a precautionary measure.

Furthermore, the FDA warns against reusing cooking oil, especially for frying, to maintain food safety standards.

Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner of FDA, acknowledged that many FDA officials and staff are on election duty and emphasized the importance of managing both responsibilities.

"FDA personnel are instructed to balance their election-related duties with the food safety campaign to ensure the protection of consumers during Diwali," Annapure stated.