Govt bans unsafe frozen, chilled meat products across J&K

Srinagar, Oct 4: The Jammu and Kashmir government has imposed an immediate ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of frozen and chilled meat products that fail to meet safety and labelling requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The prohibitory order, issued by Commissioner of Food Safety Smita Sethi, who also heads the Food and Drugs Administration, follows a series of inspections by Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers of the Food Safety Wing of the Drug and Food Control Organisation. During the drives, officials recovered large quantities of rotten, decomposed and unlabelled meat products from multiple locations across the Union Territory. The unsafe stocks were seized and destroyed in accordance with the law.
According to the order, the banned items have been categorised as “unsafe food” under Section 3(1)(zz) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, attracting penal consequences under Chapter IX, including Section 59. The order said that several seized products were found without proper labels and essential information such as batch number, date of manufacture and expiry, storage conditions, FSSAI licence number and the prescribed non-vegetarian symbol.
Officials found that many packages either lacked complete details or had unreadable markings, violating key provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — specifically Regulations 4(1), 6 and 9.
The Commissioner’s order also referred to the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, which mandate strict control over temperature and hygiene in handling meat and related products. These provisions include maintaining frozen foods at -18°C or below, keeping chilled meat between 0°C and 4°C, and ensuring raw meat is stored separately from processed or packaged food items to avoid cross-contamination.
Officials said several facilities were found lacking proper cold chain systems and monitoring mechanisms, leading to unsafe conditions for storage and transportation. “The inspection revealed that certain units were storing and transporting meat in unhygienic conditions and without temperature control, thereby posing serious risks to public health,” the order stated.
To prevent further violations, the Commissioner reiterated that all frozen meat and related products must be stored and transported at -18°C or below at every stage of handling, while chilled meat must remain between 0°C and 4°C. Frozen meat packages must display a “date of freezing” and cannot be sold beyond twelve months from that date.
E-commerce and delivery platforms have also been directed to ensure that products carry at least 30 percent of their shelf life or 45 days before expiry, whichever is earlier. The order further requires that cold storage and transport facilities be equipped with calibrated temperature monitoring systems and digital recordkeeping for verification.
Every package of meat, the order stated, must clearly identify the animal species — such as goat, buffalo or chicken — and comply fully with FSSAI-approved labelling standards.
Quoting Sections 1(a), 18(1)(f) and 29(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Commissioner emphasised that it is the statutory duty of the administration to protect public health, ensure consumer awareness, and maintain surveillance over food safety.
Under Section 30(2) of the Act, the Commissioner of Food Safety is empowered to prohibit, in public interest, the manufacture, storage or sale of any food article for up to one year. Invoking this authority, the Commissioner concluded that a “health risk condition exists across the Union Territory requiring immediate preventive action.”
As such, Smita Sethi ordered an immediate prohibition on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of all frozen and chilled meat products that do not comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and its associated regulations.
Officials said the order would remain in force until further notice or until the Commissioner is satisfied that there is no longer any public health risk. District-level officers have been instructed to carry out sustained inspections and initiate strict legal action against violators.
The Food Safety Department has urged consumers to remain cautious while purchasing meat products and to verify labelling details and packaging conditions. It has also appealed to the public to report any suspected sale or storage of unsafe products to the nearest Food Safety Office.
The department reiterated that its enforcement drive is aimed at protecting public health and ensuring that only safe, properly labelled and hygienically maintained meat products reach consumers across Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]