Gandhinagar, Aug 20 (IANS) The Gujarat government has extended the deadline for citizens and stakeholders in the food business to submit their objections and suggestions regarding proposed amendments to certain penal provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The new deadline is now September 22, officials confirmed. According to the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), the state is considering amendments in line with local requirements to ensure effective implementation of the central law (Act No. 34 of 2006).

The objective, authorities said, is to make provisions stronger so that citizens have access to safe and quality food.

Initially, the draft amendment was uploaded on the FDCA webpage under the Health and Family Welfare Department at https://gujhealth.gujarat.gov.in/citizen-corner.htm, and the deadline for submitting objections and suggestions was set as August 22.

However, to ensure wider participation and to allow more time for food business operators, associations, and citizens to provide feedback, the government has granted an additional 30 days.

The FDCA has urged citizens and stakeholders to make full use of this extended period and submit their inputs online through the official portal before the revised deadline. Officials said the feedback will play a crucial role in shaping amendments aimed at safeguarding public health and ensuring food quality in Gujarat.

In Gujarat in 2024-25, food safety authorities surged their oversight, seizing a staggering 351 tonnes of suspicious food items – including ghee, mawa, sweets, and grains – worth Rs 10.5 crore during over 190 raids, while also destroying 15.3 tonnes of spoiled goods valued at Rs 26 lakh.

Of the 60,448 food samples tested across the state, 1.45 per cent failed, and 0.17 per cent were declared unsafe for consumption. In separate drives, authorities seized 4,000 kg of adulterated ghee worth Rs 17.5 lakh in Banaskantha, along with 2,700 kg of suspect ghee valued at over Rs 13 lakh from outlets in Surendranagar.

Additionally, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation flagged alarming adulteration in paneer, with 8 out of 10 unsafe samples linked to paneer products—out of 26 substandard samples collected between January and mid-April, six were outright unsafe.

–IANS

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