FDA orders eco-friendly disposal of seized, rejected food items
Srinagar, Dec 12: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Friday issued a comprehensive advisory directing scientific and environmentally responsible disposal of seized, rejected, and expired food items, following reports of unsafe dumping of such materials into rivers and other natural water bodies.
Reiterating the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the advisory instructs all designated officers, Food Safety Officers (FSOs), and enforcement teams to strictly follow approved disposal procedures to prevent environmental damage, health risks, and potential misuse of unsafe food items.
The advisory explicitly prohibits disposal of any seized, rejected, or expired food items including their packaging into rivers, lakes, natural water bodies, or open land.
Enforcement teams have been asked to adopt approved disposal methods such as incineration at authorised facilities compliant with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms, disposal in designated sanitary landfills with leachate control, or composting and anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste through certified units, in coordination with local municipal bodies, panchayats, or other statutory authorities.
All disposal activities are required to be video recorded in the presence of two independent witnesses.
Upon completion, the supervising FSO must submit a certificate of disposal to the designated officer, with copies forwarded to the Commissioner of Food Safety and the concerned Food Business Operator (FBO).
The advisory directs designated officers to identify suitable incineration, composting, or alternative disposal facilities and share the list with the Commissioner of Food Safety.
For high-volume disposals, coordination with the State Pollution Control Board has also been advised.
Additionally, officers are required to submit monthly disposal compliance reports to the Commissioner of Food Safety by the 3rd of the following month, highlighting any deviations from the prescribed guidelines.
The FDA’s directive comes amid growing concern over improper disposal of unsafe food items, reinforcing the department’s commitment to public health and environmental safety.
