Maharashtra FDA mandates calorie and allergen details on restaurant menus

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is launching a statewide campaign starting Thursday to bring nearly 4.5 lakh food establishments under stricter compliance norms. Under the new regulations, large chain restaurants and centrally licensed food businesses will be required to display accurate calorie counts and allergen details on their menus.

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced the crackdown following a meeting on Tuesday and a subsequent press briefing on Wednesday in Mumbai. The campaign targets hotels, restaurants, dhabas, cloud kitchens, caterers, and online food delivery operators across Maharashtra.

The new regulations mandate that establishments display menu labelling and nutrition information to enable customers to make safer food choices. In addition to menu details, the FDA is enforcing strict hygiene standards. Food businesses must maintain clean kitchens, hygienic customer washrooms, safe food handling practices, and proper food storage systems.

Furthermore, all food handlers must undergo regular medical examinations to obtain fitness certificates, ensuring they do not carry diseases that could spread to customers.

The campaign also introduces a mandate for establishments to provide free, safe drinking water. Commissioner Mundhe specified that restaurants must inform customers of the availability of free potable water first, rather than immediately asking if they wish to purchase bottled water.

Compliance will be heavily monitored, and the FDA warned of severe penalties for violators. Operating a food business without a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence or registration can invite fines of up to Rs 10 lakh.

For extreme violations, serving unsafe food that results in a consumer's death can attract a prison term ranging from seven years to life, along with a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.