• FDA organized Workshop on “Effective implementation of the provisions of Prevention Of Food Adulteration Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Act.“for Judicial Officers , Police Prosecutors , Regulators on 9th August 2008.
  
• Drug Control Laborotary Mumbai received certificate of accreditation on 17th August 2008 from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories ,Deparment of Science & Technology India for its facilities at Mumbai in Chemical Testing and Biological Testing.
  
• Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra State has always taken lead and helped the people affected by natural disasters and out breaks of epidemics. In the past FDA M.S. has donated medicines during Earthquakes at Latur, Bhuj, outbreaks of epidemics like Leptosporiasis in Gujarat.
  Recently in September 2008 FDA Maharashtra .State donated medicines to Bihar for the Bihar Flood victims.
  
• World Bank Officials visited FDA M.S. on 17th, 18th September 2008 and discussed about implementation of WHO –GMP, Schedule M implementation and utilization of Funds under Capacity Building Programme .
• Ministry of consumer affairs issued notification (S.O.526E dt 12th April 2006) regarding Oseltamivir phosphate
  No manufacturer, distributor, stockist , dealer or any other person licensed to sell drugs shall sell any preparation containing the drug Oseltamivir phosphate by Retail/WholeSale except to the Central Government or a State Government or Union Territory Administration or such other agencies as the Goverment may by order in writing designate .(The said clause not apply for export out of India)
  The said view is further endorsed by Drug Controller General India’s office vide his letter dt 11/5/2009. (The said circular can be viewed in the cdsco website).
• The workshop organized by FDA with Judicial Officers , Police Prosecutors and Regulators resulted in following:
  1] To tackle the pendency of cases under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and Drugs and Cosmetics Act the the H’ble High Court has directed that the cases in District to be assigned and tried by Chief Judicial Magistrate and give priority to old matters and decide pre-2000 cases before July 2009.
  2] Taking into consideration large number of pending cases in Mumbai and Thane the Government has requested H’ble HighCourt for special court for trying cases .

Recent Work done by FDA in Food Sector:

1) Food Laboratories

PFA is Central Act, state FDA enforces since 1970. The samples drawn by the Food Inspectors are sent for analysis to Public Health Laboratories. With increase in work load and delay in receipt of analysis reports from the Public Health Laboratories Govt. decided to start two laboratories under the control of Commissioner, FDA at Mumbai and Aurangabad. The laboratories have started functioning from the year 2008.


2) Recruitment of Food Inspectors

Due to shortage of Food Inspectors and also for strict enforcement of PFA Government has recently recruited 105 Food Inspectors in the year 2007.They are all trained and notified under the provisions of PFA Act and are now working.

3) Amendment in section 20

Govt of Maharashtra has amended the Section 20 of the PFA Act. Its Is implemented from 15 Jan 2008 in state and as per amendment all the offences under Act are Cognizable and Non bailable. Also the powers ‘to arrest’ without warrant are given to police officers. This is very important amendment which has deterrent effect to curb the adulteration in milk in particular and other food stuffs in general.

4) PFA cases are Now summary Triable.

There are more than 10,000 prosecutions pending in different courts all over the state. To expedite the trials of these cases, now the courts are empowered in August 2008 to try the cases summarily, in the state.

5) Lakholi Open for sale.

As per rule 14 there is prohibition on selling the Lakdal [ KESARI ] . Recently state Govt. has decided on 28.10.2008 not to implement rule 44A, considering the request from farmers.

6) Exhibition for Awareness.

As an awareness programme for public about PFA rules and Food laws exhibitions/meetings are arranged in all the districts of state. Citizens of the state have expressed their satisfaction for the efforts being made by this administration in curbing adulteration.