Food Manifest 
109 Establishments Inspected, 16 Samples Collected; Unregistered Units Remain Under Scanner
Food safety inspections ahead of Deepavali have prompted several branded sweet and savoury manufacturers in Coimbatore to display expiry dates on individual products. However, unregistered manufacturers and cottage industries supplying products in bulk to retail shops continue to violate food safety norms, raising concerns about the quality and safety of festive foods.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has inspected 109 shops and manufacturing units across Coimbatore district as part of its festive-season enforcement drive. Officials collected 16 food samples for quality testing and issued notices to four shops for violations, including preparing and storing sweets and savouries in unhygienic conditions. T. Anuradha, FSSAI Designated Officer for Coimbatore, told the media that the samples would be examined at a government laboratory. Officials also imposed fines of ₹2,000 and ₹5,000 on two food business operators for preparing food products under unhygienic conditions.
Licences Mandatory for All Food Businesses
Coimbatore Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar has directed manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and seasonal vendors to comply with food safety regulations.
According to the district administration, all food business operators must possess a valid FSSAI licence or registration certificate. This requirement also applies to temporary sweet stalls, vendors operating at marriage halls, and individuals preparing sweets at home on order. They must obtain the necessary permission from the Food Safety Department before starting operations.
Strict Rules on Ingredients, Cooking Oil and Storage
The administration has instructed manufacturers to use quality raw materials and maintain hygienic conditions during preparation. They must avoid adulterated ingredients and excessive colours in sweets, while artificial colourants are prohibited in savoury products.
Manufacturers must also display details of the oil and ghee used in food preparation. They must not reuse used cooking oil for frying and should hand it over to authorised agencies under the government’s Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative for conversion into biodiesel. Under FSSAI guidelines, shops must display the use-by dates of products offered for sale. Milk-based sweets, which generally have a shorter shelf life, must be stored separately and should not be packed with other varieties in gift boxes.
Unregistered Seasonal Units Remain a Challenge
While several established brands have started complying with the requirements, many unregistered manufacturers and cottage industries continue to operate without mandatory licences or follow basic food safety guidelines, according to department sources.
Food safety officials, led by Designated Officer Dr T. Anuradha, are inspecting manufacturing units, wholesale outlets, and retail shops. The department has also initiated legal action against businesses operating without the required licences or permissions. An official involved in the inspection drive said identifying seasonal manufacturers remained a major challenge, as many operated only during the festive period without obtaining licences or following prescribed food safety guidelines.
The official said many of these units operated only during the festive season without obtaining the necessary licences or following food safety guidelines. Their temporary operations made them difficult to identify, while several manufactured sweets and savouries in bulk and supplied them to small retail shops without meeting even the basic regulatory requirements.
Surprise Inspections to Continue Until Deepavali
Anuradha said surprise inspections would continue at manufacturing units, wholesale outlets and retail shops until Deepavali to ensure compliance with food safety regulations. Consumers can report complaints about food quality through WhatsApp at 9444042322, the Tamil Nadu Food Safety Consumer App, or the official website, foodsafety.tn.gov.in.
Source: The Hindu
