Rs 81.8 Crore Food Seized, 1,133 Licences Suspended: FSSAI's Nationwide Food Safety Crackdown

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seized 3,279.57 metric tonnes of food products worth an estimated Rs 81.80 crore and suspended 1,133 food licences during a nationwide inspection drive covering more than 56,000 food establishments between September 1 and November 5, 2026.

The enforcement exercise, conducted across States and Union Territories in collaboration with State Food Safety Authorities, also resulted in the cancellation of 52 licences, sealing of 314 establishments and initiation of 410 prosecutions, according to FSSAI.

In a series of posts on X, the food safety regulator said it had inspected 56,431 establishments and issued 10,047 improvement notices as part of the drive.

The authority also collected 43,939 food samples, of which 23,648 had been analysed. Of these, 2,273 samples were found to be non-compliant with prescribed food safety standards.

The products seized during the exercise included oils, milk and paneer, sweets, khoya, ghee, bakery items, chocolates, ice creams, namkeen, packaged foods and festive hampers.

Highlighting the scale of the operation, FSSAI said it had conducted "rigorous checks on over 56,000 food establishments" and taken "decisive action against substandard practices". It added that the measures were aimed at maintaining "uncompromising safety standards".

The enforcement drive covered a wide range of food businesses and products, with action extending from improvement notices and licence suspensions to cancellations, sealing of establishments and legal proceedings.

The authority said it would continue working with State Food Safety Authorities to ensure "greater adherence to prescribed food safety standards across the food ecosystem".

The findings underline the extent of enforcement action taken during the festive-season drive, with continued inspections and monitoring expected to remain central to FSSAI's efforts to improve compliance among food businesses.