In order curb retail sale of banned tobacco products, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted a three-day special drive and issued spot fines to the tune of ₹ 1.62 lakh on 32 retailers who were found selling the contraband.
As on Wednesday evening, the violators remitted fine to the tune of ₹ 1.45 lakh, the highest sum collected through spot fining from a single drive in the State, said K. Tamilselvan, Designated Officer of FSSAI for Coimbatore.
The special drive was conducted after Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Tamil Nadu, recently empowered Designated Officers of the FSSAI in each district to issue spot fine on food business operators found with certain visible violations.
Mr. Tamilselvan said that 112 retail shops were inspected in the special drive and 32 retailers were found selling banned tobacco products. Each retailer was issued spot fine of ₹ 5,000 for first time offender for selling prohibited tobacco products. One retailer was also found selling non food grade plastic product for which first spot fine of ₹ 2,000 was issued.
“The main focus of the drive was to curb the retail sale of banned tobacco products as spot fine of ₹ 5,000 is a huge sum for petty shops. The spot fining will have deterrent effect. If the same offenders are found selling banned tobacco products for a second time, the spot fine will be ₹ 10,000. Likewise, the second spot fine for selling non food grade plastic will be ₹ 5,000,” he said.
While violation for a first and second time attract fine alone, repetition of the same violation for a third time will attract a higher amount of fine and cancellation of the registration certificate issued by the food regulator.
Dr. Tamilselvan said that random inspections will be continued in various parts of the district in the coming days. The WhatsApp helpline of FSSAI can be reached at 94440-42322 to share food safety related grievances.
Three shops in Tiruppur
FSSAI officials also seized expired food products weighing two kg. from three shops in Tiruppur city on Tuesday. A team of food safety officials led by FSSAI Designated Officer (Tiruppur) B. Vijayalalithambigai inspected 32 food business operators, in which banned plastic covers weighing two kg were seized in addition to the expired food products, a release said.
