Srinagar- The Court of the Adjudicating Officer, Srinagar, has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.8 lakh on M/S Arif Enterprises, a meat trading firm, for selling misbranded chicken products in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.

The case arose after a surprise inspection by a Food Safety Officer on August 11, 2025, at the firm's Bulbul Bagh Bund premises near Tengpora Bridge. Inspectors found 42 packets of packaged chicken with labels missing key information, including the use-by date, type of chicken (frozen or chilled), date of packing, and supplier details.

The court ruled that this was a violation of Section 26(1)(2)(ii) of the FSSA and the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which require all pre-packaged food to clearly state the product name, net quantity, manufacturer/importer details, and FSSAI licence number.

During proceedings, the defence failed to provide documentary evidence or invoices to justify the source of the misbranded chicken, despite multiple opportunities granted by the court. The Department of Legal Metrology had already seized the consignment.

In its order, the Adjudicating Officer highlighted the threat to public health posed by selling misbranded or rotten meat, stating,“Supplying rotten meat for human consumption is not only unethical but poses a grave threat to the health and lives of consumers. A stringent penalty is warranted to act as a deterrent.”

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