The state government is taking steps to make the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more efficient and dynamic, informed Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal.
He was speaking at a public awareness workshop on the theme “Festival of Maharashtra, Commitment to Food Safety”, jointly organised by the Food and Drug Administration and the Nashik Industries and Manufacturers Association (NIMA) at NIMA House, Satpur.
On the dais were NIMA President Ashish Nahar, IME President Lalit Boob, FDA Assistant Commissioners Manish Sanap, Vinod Dhavad, Aparna Pharande, NIMA Vice President Manish Rawal, Joint Secretary Kiran Patil, Chairman of NIMA’s Food Safety Committee Vaibhav Nagashethia, and Co-chairman Bhavesh Bhansali.
Sample Testing Period Reduced to 2–4 Months
Earlier, it used to take 14 months to test samples received by the FDA. This duration has now been successfully brought down to 2 to 4 months, Zirwal informed. Efforts are being made to further expedite testing. Six new laboratories are being established across the state and two in Mumbai, he added.
“What we consume determines our health,” Zirwal said, adding humorously that “In Germany, people test everything they eat, while we only test pills before swallowing them.” This remark drew laughter from the audience.
He also gave a serious reminder — “Eat food as medicine; otherwise, you will have to eat medicine as food.”
He emphasised that public awareness is essential to prevent food adulteration and that adulteration can even be detected at home. He appealed to everyone to help curb addiction.
Acknowledging the shortage of manpower in the FDA, he expressed confidence that with committed work from all staff, the effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act was achievable.
Zirwal also assured continuous efforts to attract major investments and promote industrial growth in Nashik. He mentioned that work was ongoing to widen the Nashik–Peth–Gujarat highway, and traffic might have to be diverted through alternative routes.
₹11,000-Crore Industrial Projects in the Pipeline: Nahar
Delivering the introductory speech, NIMA President Ashish Nahar raised several important issues concerning industrialists.
He requested that construction of the proposed FDA administrative building in Nashik be expedited and that an FDA laboratory, similar to CPRI, be made operational soon. He also demanded that penalties for delays in submitting the D-1 form be reduced, an amnesty scheme for defaulters be introduced, and reforms be made in the Instant Registration Scheme.
Thanks to NIMA’s persistent follow-up, investments worth ₹16,000 crore have been attracted to Nashik in the past eight months, and efforts are underway to bring an additional ₹11,000 crore worth of industries. Nahar expressed his ambition to make Nashik the No. 1 industrial destination in Maharashtra.
FDA Assistant Commissioners Manish Sanap, Vinod Dhavad, Ashwini Patil, and Aparna Pharande gave detailed guidance on the Food Safety Standards Act and food safety awareness. A live demonstration was held to show how to detect food adulteration. Students from KK Wagh Food Technology College presented a street play, which drew everyone’s attention.
The event was attended by Chamber of Commerce Vice President Sanjay Sonawane, Akhil Rathi, Kailas Patil, Hemant Khond, Nitin Awhad, Govind Borse, Mahendra Chhoriya, Sanjay Rathi, Rajaram Sangle, Nanasahab Devre, Bhavesh Manek, Sonal Dagade, Sudhanshu Patil, as well as FDA officers, industrialists, and traders in large numbers.
