Intensify Food Safety Surveillance During Festive Season: Arti Singh Rao
Directs collection of 100–150 surveillance samples in each district, calls for the formation of special district-level food surveillance teams
Chandigarh,
Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao has directed officials to intensify the food safety surveillance campaign across the state in view of the festive season. She has instructed the Food and Drug Administration to collect 100–150 surveillance samples of food items in each district.
Dr. Manoj Kumar, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said that the Health Minister has issued directions to further strengthen the food safety surveillance campaign across the state. The primary objective is to ensure that the public has access to safe, pure, high-quality and unadulterated food products. Special emphasis is being placed on ensuring the quality and safety of food items, particularly in view of the increased consumption of sweets, milk and dairy products during the festive season of Diwali and Chhath Puja.
He stated that, under this special campaign, letters have been sent to all Deputy Commissioners in Haryana, asking them to constitute district-level special food surveillance teams under the supervision of the district administration, in coordination with the concerned Designated Officers (Food Safety) and Food Safety Officers.
These teams will conduct inspections and collect surveillance samples from major markets, sweet shops, dairies, milk vendors and other food business establishments to identify substandard, adulterated and unsafe food products.
The district-level special surveillance teams have been assigned a target of collecting 100–150 additional food surveillance samples per district, separate from the samples routinely collected by Food Safety Officers. The initiative aims to strengthen the independent surveillance mechanism, bring more markets within the ambit of the campaign, and ensure effective monitoring of food quality and safety across the state.
He added that special attention would be given to sweets, milk, paneer, khoya, ghee and other commonly consumed food products during the campaign.
Dr. Manoj Kumar has directed the concerned officials to ensure that all surveillance samples are collected in accordance with the prescribed procedures, properly documented and sent to the designated food testing laboratories for analysis within the stipulated time frame.
The analysis reports received from the laboratories will be monitored regularly, and prompt action will be taken as per the rules in cases where food samples are found not to conform to the prescribed standards.
He further stated that, to ensure transparency and accountability in the food safety system, officials at the FDA headquarters have been directed to upload data every week on the department's state portal regarding food samples found to be substandard or unsafe, based on laboratory analysis reports.
This system will facilitate systematic monitoring of sample analysis reports, district-wise progress and regulatory and enforcement actions taken. It will also help raise public awareness about food safety.
2,428 Food Samples Collected Between April 1 and September 30, 2026
Dr. Manoj Kumar informed that Food Safety Officers in Haryana collected a total of 2,428 food samples between April 1 and September 30, 2026. These included 1,239 enforcement samples and 1,189 surveillance samples.
Following laboratory analysis, 232 enforcement samples and 149 surveillance samples were found not to conform to the prescribed food safety standards. Necessary regulatory and enforcement action has been initiated in these cases in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations framed thereunder.
The Commissioner clarified that whenever surveillance samples are found not to meet the prescribed standards, the concerned Food Safety Officer will immediately review the laboratory report. Wherever necessary, a separate enforcement sample will be collected in accordance with the prescribed legal procedure, and action will be taken under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The objective of this process is to ensure timely and effective action against violations related to food safety.
He said that the department is committed to protecting public health through a robust food safety surveillance system, coordinated action with district administrations, regular review of laboratory reports and effective implementation of food safety laws.
He appealed to all food business operators to comply with the prescribed hygiene and quality standards and refrain from manufacturing, storing, distributing or selling substandard, adulterated or unsafe food products.
Health Minister Arti Singh Rao also appealed to the public to remain vigilant while purchasing food items, buy food products only from reliable sources, and report any suspected food adulteration or food safety-related activity to the concerned authorities.
The State Government is committed to providing safe food to every citizen of Haryana through effective surveillance, transparency and strict regulatory action.