Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced a first-of-its-kind, year-round Festival Enforcement Calendar to crack down on food adulteration and unsafe food practices during festivals, fairs, pilgrimages and religious gatherings across the state. The initiative, announced on September 4 by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, classifies festivals into three levels based on their scale and geographical spread, while identifying high-risk foods, likely adulterants, inspection schedules and enforcement measures in advance.
The surveillance will begin up to 21 days before a festival and continue for as long as 30 days afterwards, covering manufacturers, mills, markets, warehouses, transporters, restaurants, bakeries, quick-commerce warehouses and community food events. The FDA says the move is intended to protect consumers as demand for products such as milk, paneer, ghee, sweets, dry fruits, meat and cooking oil rises sharply during celebrations. Mundhe stressed that the programme is not directed at any particular faith or community, saying, “It has nothing to do with religion or faith. The order is strictly related to food safety.”
What Will Be Under The FDA’s Scanner?
The new framework identifies 11 high-risk categories, including milk and dairy products, meat, sweets, fasting foods, edible oil, fruits and dry fruits, gram flour, water and ice, bakery products, food sold through e-commerce platforms and imported food. Checks will be tailored to festival-specific risks: fasting products such as bhagar, kuttu, singhada flour, sabudana and rajgira will be examined for fungal toxins; milk and dairy products will face early-morning checks; and meat outlets, cold chains and slaughterhouses will receive greater scrutiny around Eid.
During Diwali and Dussehra, frying oil will be tested for Total Polar Compounds, with oil exceeding the 25% limit slated for destruction. Sweet shops will be checked for unauthorised colours and adulterated silver leaf, while the use of newspapers or printed paper to wrap food will attract action. The FDA will also inspect food served at bhandaras, langars, iftar gatherings, mahaprasads and annachhatras. Organisers of such community meals will have to use licensed caterers and notify authorities in advance.
From Reactive Raids To Year-Round Enforcement
The calendar marks a shift from festival-specific inspections to a structured system covering the entire year. During the first phase, officials will map risk areas, gather intelligence, form enforcement teams and ensure testing kits, laboratory capacity and other resources are available. Fourteen days before a festival, inspections will extend to manufacturing units, flour mills, markets, cold stores, godowns, wholesale markets and food transport, including night and early-morning movement.
During the celebrations, officials will conduct market surveillance and on-the-spot testing before following up on laboratory reports, prosecutions and disposal of seized food. The move comes after a sharp increase in Maharashtra FDA testing since Mundhe took charge: between June and August 2026, the department collected 37,604 samples and tested 32,604, with 15,268 samples reported as failing prescribed standards. The FDA has also announced plans for four additional laboratories and upgrades to existing facilities to reduce testing and enforcement delays.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Festivals should be occasions for celebration, community and shared meals, not periods when consumers have to worry about whether the food they buy or receive is safe. Maharashtra’s decision to move from last-minute raids to advance risk mapping and year-round monitoring is a welcome step, particularly because adulteration can affect people across communities equally. At the same time, effective enforcement should remain transparent, proportionate and consistent, ensuring that small businesses, street vendors and community organisers understand the rules and are given practical guidance to comply rather than facing action only after violations occur.
The FDA’s assurance that the framework applies across religions and geographies is important because food safety is a shared public-health responsibility, not a religious issue. Ultimately, protecting consumers will depend not only on inspections and prosecutions but also on responsible food businesses, informed citizens and accessible complaint mechanisms. Do you think year-round food safety checks can make Maharashtra’s festivals safer, and what more should authorities and consumers do to prevent adulteration?
