Sweatmeat outlets in Bengal oppose FSSAI directive to specify best before date for sweets

    Kolkata, Sep 30 (PTI) Sweetmeat outlets in the city on
Wednesday said the recent directive of FSSAI for specifying
the date of manufacture of each sweet product will plunge
majority of the one lakh sweet shops in the state into a
serious crisis situation.
    In the climatic conditions of Bengal, most sweets
don't last beyond a single day, Dhiman Das, owner of K C Das
told PTI.
    Hence the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) directive to put "Best before date...." tag on each
sweet tray is illogical considering the customers and sellers
in every sweetmeat shop enjoy a trust about quality and
freshness of sweets which cannot be quantified by such
official declarations, he said.
    The sweetmeat outlets have been asked to put up
stickers before each tray from October 1.
    "Is it possible to write best before sticker on the
tray of syrupy cotton cheese sweets like rosogolla, rosomalai
and misti doi," he said.
    "Further even if the big outlets like us can follow
the directive of FSSAI, what about scores of small sweet shops
located in every alley and neighbourhood across West Bengal?
Do they have the manpower and wherewithal with one/two
employees to religiously put a sticker with best before use
date on 50-100 trays before opening the shop," Sudip Mallick,
one of the owners of Balaram Mallick Radharaman Mallick chain
of sweetmeat outlets, said.
    Das of K C Das outlets said "as the sector is already
reeling under serious crisis due to the pandemic-triggered
lockdown, the new move by FSSAI will further throw small shops
into serious financial stress in the festive season."
    "We apprehend officers from FSSAI department of Centre
will harass sweetmeat shop owners and staff by levelling false
cases taking advantage of the new directives," he said.
    Misti Udyog - Sweets and Savouries Manufacturers'
Association of Bengal on September 28 had sent a letter to
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging her to intervene so that
the FSSAI directive is not applicable for sweetmeat shops in
the state.
    The letter also contains above-mentioned points.
    Prominent sweetmeat outlet owners are also expected to
meet West Bengal Consumer Affair minister Sadhan Pandey soon
before deciding their next course of action. PTI SUS
RG RG

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)