NAGPUR: Though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized gutkha worth 16 crore despite the state government imposing a ban on its sale and purchase, FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade is seeing this as an achievement and also a failure to stop the interstate smuggling of the contraband.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Zagade said he had written to the FDA in other states but it was impossible to control the entry of gutkha into Maharashtra from the states like Uttar Pradesh where there is no ban on its manufacturing. "Smuggling would continue unless there is a blanket ban on manufacturing all over the country. Implementing the ban fully is a difficult task. Gutkha continues to reach the state by road and rail," he said.
Zagade admitted that implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act was not an easy job with a meagre staff of about 200 personnel and about 20 lakh food operators. But he patted his back as the FDA registered almost 3.75 lakh operators in the state. "We are trying our best to put the food safety and management system under the new act in place to ensure the right to safe food to consumers. We are taking action against misleading advertisements as well," he said.
Talking about the drugs front, Zagade said the administration was coming down heavily on medical shops being run without pharmacists and also implementing the drug price control order effectively. He listed the recent action against Johnson and Johnson and its affiliated companies for selling ethylene oxide sterilized powder.
Zagade said the new food and drug testing laboratory near Manewada would be ready in two months. FDA is also looking for two acre land for its around 850 crore project for combined facility of laboratory and office.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Zagade said he had written to the FDA in other states but it was impossible to control the entry of gutkha into Maharashtra from the states like Uttar Pradesh where there is no ban on its manufacturing. "Smuggling would continue unless there is a blanket ban on manufacturing all over the country. Implementing the ban fully is a difficult task. Gutkha continues to reach the state by road and rail," he said.
Zagade admitted that implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act was not an easy job with a meagre staff of about 200 personnel and about 20 lakh food operators. But he patted his back as the FDA registered almost 3.75 lakh operators in the state. "We are trying our best to put the food safety and management system under the new act in place to ensure the right to safe food to consumers. We are taking action against misleading advertisements as well," he said.
Talking about the drugs front, Zagade said the administration was coming down heavily on medical shops being run without pharmacists and also implementing the drug price control order effectively. He listed the recent action against Johnson and Johnson and its affiliated companies for selling ethylene oxide sterilized powder.
Zagade said the new food and drug testing laboratory near Manewada would be ready in two months. FDA is also looking for two acre land for its around 850 crore project for combined facility of laboratory and office.
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