Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has intensified food safety enforcement across North Goa, seizing 225 kg of unlabelled frozen jamun worth around Rs 50,000 during an early-morning surveillance operation at the interstate Mapusa bus stand.
The consignment, transported from Pune to Mapusa via Atamaram, was booked by a local hotel for use in ice cream preparations and distribution to other units. The FDA said the hotel did not possess a valid FSSAI registration, following which action was initiated under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and a penalty of Rs 10,000 was imposed.
The FDA has also written to the Maharashtra FDA seeking action against the Pune-based vendor for dispatching the consignment without mandatory labelling. The seized stock was destroyed with the assistance of the Mapusa Municipality.
During the surveillance drive, officials checked 30 buses and also directed two restaurants to cease operations after finding unhygienic conditions.
In separate enforcement action, the FDA North Goa team suspended operations at Blinkit and Instamart units in Porvorim and one Instamart unit in Taleigao over several operational and hygiene-related lapses. Notices have been issued to the concerned units seeking explanations and compliance.
The FDA has also stepped up checks on milk products, particularly paneer and kalkand, to crack down on non-dairy analogues being sold in violation of food safety norms.
The department said the surveillance drive will continue across the state and warned food business operators to comply with prescribed safety, hygiene and licensing requirements or face penalties and suspension of operations.
The team comprised Designated Officer Richard Noronha, Food Safety Officers Amit Mandrekar, Darlane Diukar and Ram Dhuri, along with staff members Sandeep Shelke and Sudhakar Parsekar, working under the guidance of FDA Director Shweta Dessai.
