Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has imposed a blanket ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of frozen and chilled meat products that fail to meet food safety standards.
An official order cited inspections conducted by the Food Safety Wing of the Drug and Food Control Organization, which uncovered large quantities of rotten, decomposed, and unlabelled meat across multiple locations in the Union Territory. The unsafe stocks were seized and destroyed.
The seized products were found to violate key provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Many items lacked mandatory labeling, including batch numbers, expiry dates, manufacturer details, FSSAI license numbers, and proper storage instructions.
The Commissioner said frozen meat must be stored and transported at minus 18 degrees Celsius or below, while chilled meat must be kept at 0–4 degrees Celsius. Frozen products must display the date of freezing and cannot be sold beyond 12 months from that date. E-commerce deliveries should have at least 30 percent of their total shelf life or 45 days before expiry remaining. Storage and transport facilities must have calibrated temperature monitors with proper records, and labels must clearly state the animal species, such as goat, buffalo, or chicken.
The order further stated that, as per Section 18(1)(f) of the Act, if there are reasonable grounds to suspect a food may pose a risk to human health, the Food Authority and the Commissioner of Food Safety are bound to take preventive measures and inform the public about the nature of the risk and actions taken.
The Food Safety Commissioner emphasized that the action is being taken under Section 30 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, empowering the Commissioner of Food Safety to prohibit the manufacture, storage, or sale of any food article in the interest of public health for a specified period.
“Having regard to the inspection findings and the potential health risk involved, a condition exists across the Union Territory that requires immediate preventive action in the interest of public health,” the order reads.
The ban will remain in force until further orders or until the administration is satisfied that the health risk no longer exists.
The ban will remain in force until further notice or until authorities confirm that the products pose no health risk.
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