Surat: Ahead of Dussehra, the Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) food safety department launched an inspection drive at snack shops across the city to ensure food quality and safety during the festive rush.Dussehra marks the end of the nine-day Navratri fasting period, when demand for the traditional combination of fafda, ganthiya and jalebi surges across Gujarat. With sales expected to peak, food safety officials stepped up checks at food outlets to prevent the use of substandard ingredients and unsafe food preparation practices.As part of the drive, officials inspected 27 shops and collected 50 samples for testing. The samples included fafda, accompanying chutneys and the oil used for frying. All samples have been sent to the public health laboratory for analysis. Authorities said action would be taken against establishments found using adulterated or substandard ingredients, depending on the laboratory findings.A food safety department official said the drive aims to ensure that vendors maintain proper food safety standards during the period of high demand.“During the festive rush, shops must take extra care while preparing food products. Many outlets begin making fafda one or two days in advance to meet the last-minute demand for Dussehra,” the official said.Officials pointed out that some shops, which operate with limited space and staff, prepare and pack fafda a day in advance to cope with the rush. This makes proper hygiene, safe storage and the quality of ingredients particularly important.The laboratory reports are expected within the next couple of days. Based on the findings, the department will decide on further action against any outlets found violating food safety standards.
