SRINAGAR: Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Rajit Punhani, on Tuesday chaired an interactive session with Food Business Operators (FBOs), trade bodies and industry representatives in Srinagar and assured technical and financial support for strengthening food safety infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
The session, held at SKICC, focused on food safety, regulatory compliance, testing infrastructure, training and ease of doing business.
Representatives of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), hotels and restaurants associations, traders’ bodies, houseboat owners, bakers and confectioners, spice industry representatives and other stakeholders participated in the interaction and raised issues related to licensing, food testing, training and regulatory compliance.
Punhani encouraged Food Business Operators to participate in FSSAI training programmes and adhere to prescribed food safety standards. He also stressed the importance of consumer awareness and urged stakeholders to follow official digital platforms of FSSAI and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), J&K, for updates on regulations and advisories.
The FSSAI chief assured support for strengthening laboratory infrastructure and enhancing testing facilities in the Union Territory. He also welcomed a proposal to utilise the technical expertise and specialised facilities available at institutions such as IUST and SKUAST to augment the testing capacity of FDA laboratories.
He called for sustained efforts to improve food safety surveillance, enforcement and regulatory compliance, reiterating FSSAI’s commitment to assisting Jammu and Kashmir in strengthening food safety governance.
During the meeting, trade bodies appreciated the FDA’s role in streamlining licensing and registration procedures and facilitating ease of doing business. They also sought continued guidance and support for improving compliance with food safety regulations.
Commissioner FDA, J&K, Khalid Jahangir informed that the department had initiated the process of upgrading existing food laboratories to expand testing capabilities. He said the department aims to increase testing capacity to cover 3,500 NABL parameters by March 2027 and 5,000 parameters in the subsequent phase.
He also said that around 10,000 Food Business Operators would be trained during the current financial year through 160 training and awareness programmes.
