Maharashtra FDA Mandates Calorie Counts, Allergen Information on Menus
The Maharashtra FDA has directed large food businesses to display calorie counts and allergen information on menus while tightening hygiene, licensing and food safety norms across the state.
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The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a comprehensive food safety order requiring large restaurants and food businesses across the state to display calorie counts and allergen information on their menus, as part of a wider initiative to strengthen food safety standards and improve consumer awareness.
The directive is part of a statewide compliance drive covering nearly 4.5 lakh food establishments, including restaurants, hotels, dhabas, cloud kitchens, caterers and online food delivery operators.
Under the new guidelines, food businesses must display calorie information and identify potential allergens for menu items, enabling customers to make more informed food choices. Restaurants have also been instructed to clearly indicate whether dishes are vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
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Safety Measures:
The Maharashtra FDA said the move came after inspections found several lapses in food safety, including unhygienic kitchen conditions, reuse of cooking oil, poor temperature control and unsafe food handling practices.
Establishments are required to have hygienic kitchens, proper sanitation, clean washrooms, safe food handling practices and access to potable drinking water.
In a consumer-friendly move, the regulator has directed food businesses to provide safe drinking water free of cost. Restaurants will no longer be able to force customers to buy bottled water without informing them that free drinking water is available.
"Food establishments have been directed to provide safe drinking water free for customers and display notices informing them of its availability," Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said.
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The order also introduces stricter norms for food handlers. Employees involved in preparing and serving food will be required to undergo regular medical examinations, obtain fitness certificates and complete Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programmes.
According to the FDA, food handlers must undergo periodic health checks to ensure they are not carriers of diseases that can spread through food. The authority has also reiterated strict restrictions on the reuse of cooking oil.
Additionally, every food establishment must possess a valid licence or registration issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), while operators have been instructed to source ingredients only from licensed suppliers.
