Jammu food safety department penalizes traders and recommends license suspension for violations

JAMMU, May 21, 2026 — The Adjudicating Officer under the Food Safety and Standards Act in Jammu has imposed a total fine of 13,78,000 rupees on several local business establishments for violating food safety norms.

The penalties were handed down following a series of strict enforcement actions conducted between December 2025 and May 2026. Financial penalties were levied against various food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers caught selling or distributing substandard, expired, and misbranded food products, retailing rotten meat, or operating commercial facilities without holding a valid regulatory license.

In a further intensification of the crackdown, the department has recommended the suspension of licenses for 25 food business operators in the district. These specific businesses failed to deposit the penalties previously imposed on them for serious infractions, which included serving food under unhygienic conditions, working without statutory authorization, and dealing in mislabeled or low-quality edible products.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu Vidhu Shekhar, acting as the designated Adjudicating Officer under the food safety act, has been spearheading the regulatory drive to enforce the district administration’s zero-tolerance policy against food adulteration and misleading labeling practices.

Following the judicial pronouncements, the Adjudicating Officer issued an appeal to all food business operators across the district to strictly follow the guidelines established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. The official emphasized the absolute necessity of ensuring that only safe, hygienic, and correctly labeled items are provided to the public.

Enforcement officials additionally warned that any business found flouting national food safety guidelines in the future will continue to face stringent legal and financial actions.