Dr. Siddhartha Ghosh, & Ammar Mehdi
Consumers have good reason to be concerned with the strange ingredients used in Kashmir’s hotels, restaurants, bakeries and packaged foods. There’s also cause for concern with the irregular quality of sweets and branded candies, which are popular at marriages and other social gatherings. We should not compromise the health of the public.
According to data presented in Parliament, food samples collected in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir between 2020-21 and 2024-25 numbered 41,717 of which 6,202 were reported as non-conforming to prescribed standards, which is about 14.9 percent. These are UT-wide figures and do not pertain to the Kashmir Valley alone. Non-conforming to prescribed standards does not mean that the sample is unsafe. Regardless, the data strongly supports the need for more transparency in the food safety process, more food safety inspections, and stronger enforcement.
As per the RTI report published in April 2026, the Kashmir division of the Food Safety Department had 25 vacant posts, which included five gazetted and 20 non-gazetted. With the limited number of food safety officers and a non-functional food safety laboratory in the valley, how can the department adequately ensure food safety? Clearly, there is a strong case to increase the food safety officers and strengthen food safety and testing infrastructure.
The sale of candies and sweets of dubious quality at wedding and other social functions requires special focus. Children are the main consumers of these foods, and due to lack of proper standards and quality control, safety of the products remains a mystery. Likewise, the ingredients are often a mystery. Some candies even resemble established brands, and some, misleadingly, are sold as imports. Products sold as imports often vary widely in price, depending on the brand, and may also be sold in the same packaging as local sweets, but sold at a higher price. It appears that very little overt price monitoring is done for these products.
The authorities must take samples and test the products, and then investigate if the brand is misleading and if the labels are in violation of consumer protection laws. Wedding halls,
caterers and sweetmeat suppliers should not be exempt from legal action for importing products from other states.
The above situation is true for a wide variety of food products. Each of the major food categories (meats, poultry and seafood, dairy, fruits, vegetables, flour, grains, etc.) should also
be subject to unannounced inspections and quality checks. Likewise, kitchens should be inspected for the quality of ingredients, storage, and prepared food.
A growing concern is the increasing reliance on ready-made products by the food industry to cut costs. Not every cheap product is unsafe, but the ingredients, source, storage and quality of such products need to be assessed. Authorities need to locate the major suppliers outside of Jammu and Kashmir, take samples from their products and distribution networks, and intercept unsafe products from entering the market. Violators of food safety regulations must face strong legal action, including FIR / PSA, and their operating and business licenses must be revoked.
Inspections must be extended to the supply chain, distribution and the manufacturing units. Growing dependence on out-of-home prepared meals also increases the need to address restaurant food safety. Children, students, professionals, and the elderly, all consume food away from home. Convenience of food, delivered at your doorstep, cannot replace responsibility for food safety.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelRestaurants, caterers, manufacturers, distributors and delivery platforms must be held accountable for the food they handle, transport and sell, respectively.
Delivery and food platforms must help in the removal of unsafe food from the market, and assist in the investigation of serious violations. The responsible authorities must investigate the
listed establishments and take stringent action against infringers.
What if a customer finds something in his serving of dal at a restaurant? An apology may be appropriate, but this cannot be the end of the matter. Incidents of this nature must be recorded; the cause must be identified and action taken to prevent recurrence. If evidence of negligence or a food safety violation is established, the proper authorities must be notified and steps taken to ensure safety. Consumers must have the ability to formally complain and have traceability and accountability, not just a naïve expectation that the next consumer may not face the sameissue.
Kitchens must also be required to have CCTV coverage for food preparation and storage, with clear privacy protections and data retention periods. Food safety violations and concerns related to food preparation can be assessed through the recordings. However, CCTV should not be a substitute for food safety controls, inspections and laboratory tests. If used in conjunction with the aforementioned, CCTV can be part of a broader system of control and accountability for food safety.
While cancer and reproductive health concerns are on the rise, the Government should also research food surveillance for harmful substances and contaminants. Food safety concerns must be addressed by the authorities to control preventable risks. Kashmir requires an uninterrupted, sustained food safety enforcement drive and not the current, ad hoc raids. Surprise inspections should be conducted at restaurants, hotels, bakeries, sweet shops, wholesale markets, warehouses and distribution centres. Sample collections should be done for locally produced and out of state food items. The government must set strict timelines for test results, publish the results by districts, disclose the number of legal proceedings initiated, penalties levied, licenses revoked and convictions awarded. In cases where food safety enforcement officials submit their test results and samples, but offending food business operators continue to sell potentially unsafe food, the government must take stringent action, including the registration of FIRs, revocation of licenses and other strict legal actions. Repeat offenders should be permanently barred from the food business.
Jammu and Kashmir requires stronger deterrence and more stringent enforcement. Food safety laws empower food safety personnel to take stringent actions against business operators who indulge in food adulteration and/or unsafe food practices. In such cases, the personnel must register FIRs, seize the food, revoke the food business operator’s license, and prosecute the food business operator to the fullest extent of the law. If safe food is not made available to citizens, especially children and the elderly, then there should be no compromise in enforcing food safety laws. There should be no shortcuts in testing food samples, especially if it means endangering the lives of citizens. The government should act before a major food adulteration-related incident compels it to take action.
The views expressed in the article are author's own.
By: Dr. Siddhartha Ghosh
Director: Red Lantern Analytica Foundation