Eat Safe: FSDA Makes It Mandatory to Show Manufacturing Date on Sweet Boxes!
We all love eating sweets, and do it mostly without caution.
Eating food items that are past their expiry date can be quite harmful, and can cause severe diarrhoea and food poisoning in the affected individuals.
During festivals, many of us end up buying sweets in bulk, and many times, due to our negligence or the carelessness of the shop owners, we end up purchasing boxes of sweets that are well past their expiry date. Well, thanks to the FSDA, now your sweet tooth won’t result in days of agony.
Sanjay Panday, the Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety Department in Bareilly has sent instructions to officials to make sure all sweet shops in the district must display the manufacturing date of sweets, as well as the “best before” date. The authorities plan to conduct a survey of all sweet shops and instruct them to display the ‘best before’ date on boxes.
The FSDA has clamped down on adulterated food items before Holi, destroying 25 quintals of adulterated condensed milk and other raw materials used in making sweets and other edible items. The drive will continue throughout the year, as the malpractice of selling stale sweets isn’t limited to the festive season, according to a food safety inspector, who added that shopkeepers always try to clear their old stock by mixing perishable items with fresh ones.
The deputy commissioner stated that the display of manufacturing and expiry dates of perishable items isn’t a new phenomenon, and the rules have already been outlined by the FSDA department. It is the following of rules which is the problem, and the FSDA intends to make sure no one violates rules and regulations which will directly affect the health of ordinary people. Sweet shop owners unwilling to comply, will lose their licences.
The officials claim that most shopkeepers don’t store sweets at recommended temperatures. For example, sweets made of condensed milk are highly perishable and expire after 48 hours, and over 90% of sweets are made using the food item. Many shop owners extend the 48-hour window, and this is exactly what the authorities find worrying.
You may also like: Food Secrets: The Sweet Stories Behind The Legendary Agra Petha and Mysore Pak
Consuming sweets is an integral part of our culture, and during festivals, we often go on a binge. Even though the FSDA is clamping down on expired sweets, it is still advisable to check the labels thoroughly, so that your favourite festival doesn’t turn into a food poisoning nightmare.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: [email protected], or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!
If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.
Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-
By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let's ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.
Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?
This story made me
-
97 -
121 -
89 -
167
Home
Read
Watch
Contribute
