The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its statewide food safety enforcement during the festival season through a dedicated online “Festival Enforcement Portal”, with 3,198 Ganesh Mandals submitting applications for Bhandara, Annachhatra and Mahaprasad and enforcement teams inspecting 3,068 food establishments between September 1 and 23, 2026. The drive resulted in 2,423 food samples being collected and suspected food stock weighing 6,34,362 kg and valued at about Rs. 9.76 crore being seized for further action.
The festival enforcement framework extends beyond Ganeshotsav. The annual calendar also covers Navratri, Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Urus and village deity fairs, with inspection priorities adapted to the food products associated with each festival.
The portal brings the annual festival calendar under a single system, covering festivals from Makar Sankranti to Christmas and classifying them into Level-1 statewide, Level-2 regional and Level-3 local festivals. For each festival, activities covering preparation, production inspections, public awareness, supply-chain monitoring, retail sale, festival-day market surveillance, reporting and legal action are scheduled over the period beginning 21 days before and extending up to 30 days after the festival.
The initiative is aimed at moving festival-related food safety enforcement towards a planned, risk-based and time-bound system, while ensuring that regulatory action does not interfere with religious rituals or community food distribution. The FDA has put in place a permanent Standing Order covering festivals throughout the year and has developed the portal to coordinate inspections, applications, enforcement and reporting.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the focus of the administration is on ensuring that Naivedya, Prasad, Mahaprasad and fasting foods consumed during festivals are safe and free from adulteration, while respecting religious practices.
A key feature is the online application facility for Ganesh Mandals and other organisations conducting community food distribution. Organisers can submit information regarding Bhandara, Annachhatra and Mahaprasad without visiting FDA offices. Applications, officer assignments and the status of on-site inspections can be monitored in real time.
During Ganeshotsav, 3,198 applications were submitted by Ganesh Mandals through the portal. Based on risk assessment, Food Safety Officers visited 383 locations. The inspections focused on cooking areas, drinking water, quality of raw materials, food storage practices and hygiene of food handlers. The FDA said the approach enabled its available manpower to be deployed at locations requiring greater attention.
The wider enforcement drive between September 1 and 23 covered 3,068 food establishments across Maharashtra. Improvement notices were issued to 1,506 establishments where deficiencies were detected. Licences of 248 establishments were suspended for violations, while 12 licences were cancelled.
The department also filed 455 cases under Section 69 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, of which 398 had been disposed of during the period. Penalties totalling about Rs. 53.60 lakh were recovered.
The Konkan Division recorded 977 inspections and 415 improvement notices, with 70 licence suspensions, one cancellation and 133 cases filed under Section 69. Pune Division recorded 849 inspections, 440 improvement notices, 69 licence suspensions and 176 cases filed. Brihanmumbai recorded 325 inspections, 226 improvement notices, 53 licence suspensions and 30 cases filed.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded 402 inspections and 156 improvement notices, while Nashik recorded 221 inspections and 109 improvement notices. Amravati and Nagpur recorded 136 and 158 inspections, respectively.
Food sampling was also undertaken across the State, covering sweets, khoa, dairy products, edible oils and fasting foods. Of the 2,423 samples collected, Konkan accounted for 903 samples, Pune 672, Nashik 224, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 232, Nagpur 172, Brihanmumbai 88 and Amravati 132.
The FDA seized 6,34,362 kg of suspected food stock valued at Rs. 975.60 lakh. Nashik Division accounted for the largest quantity seized, at 4,42,746.40 kg valued at about Rs. 622.68 lakh. Konkan recorded seizure of 1,24,793.86 kg valued at Rs. 153.74 lakh, while Pune reported 46,266.02 kg valued at Rs. 152.24 lakh.
The FDA said further legal action would be taken against unsafe or substandard food products after analysis reports are received, in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Mundhe said the enforcement strategy is designed to intervene primarily at the production and supply stages, including production units, mills, khoa markets, cold storages, warehouses and wholesale markets. This is intended to prevent unsafe food from reaching consumers rather than disrupting pandals, temples, pujas, processions or other religious activities during festivals.
The department has also positioned the portal as an accountability mechanism, with designated officers assigned across 90 zones. Division-wise and statewide information on inspections, samples, seizures and notices can be consolidated through the system, allowing enforcement activity to be monitored through management information reports.
The FDA has also adopted an improvement-first approach for deficiencies that can be rectified. While 1,506 improvement notices were issued during the period, more stringent measures including licence suspension, cancellation and penalties were taken where serious violations were detected.
The department has appealed to consumers to purchase Prasad, sweets and fasting foods from licensed establishments, check the licence number and Food Safety Connect QR Code and obtain proper bills. Consumers have also been advised to prefer labelled and sealed packs of fasting foods and check manufacturing and expiry dates.
Mandals organising Bhandara, Annachhatra or Mahaprasad during upcoming festivals have been advised to apply through the online portal, use licensed caterers and inform the concerned Designated Officer at least seven days before the event.
Citizens can register food safety complaints through the Maharashtra FDA's complaint portal, while complaints can also be made through the toll-free helpline 1800 222 365 or in writing to the concerned Assistant Commissioner (Food), Designated Officer or the Commissioner's Office.
“The FDA's festival enforcement programme is therefore intended to combine digital monitoring, risk-based inspections and source-level intervention with continued access to traditional community food practices. According to Mundhe, the objective is to protect both food safety and the sanctity associated with festival offerings without interfering with religious faith and rituals, Mundhe informed.