Crack down on unsafe meat: J&K bans frozen, chilled products banned across UT
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By Shafat Malik
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04 Oct 2025
Srinagar, Oct 4 : In a significant move to safeguard public health, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has imposed a blanket ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of frozen and chilled meat products found to be in violation of food safety standards.
The directive follows surprise inspections by the Food Safety Wing of the Drug and Food Control Organization, which uncovered widespread non-compliance across multiple districts. Officials seized and destroyed large quantities of rotten, decomposed, and unlabelled meat to mitigate public health risks.
The order cited serious breaches of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Many products lacked mandatory labels, including batch numbers, expiry dates, manufacturer details, FSSAI license numbers, and storage instructions.
Under the new directive, frozen meat must be stored and transported at -18°C or below, while chilled meat should be maintained at 0–4°C. All frozen products must indicate a “date of freezing” and cannot be sold beyond 12 months from that date.
For e-commerce deliveries, products must have at least 30% of total shelf life or 45 days before expiry remaining. Storage and transport facilities are required to maintain calibrated temperature monitors with proper records. Labels must clearly indicate the species of the animal, such as goat, buffalo, or chicken.
The Commissioner of Food Safety said to safeguard public health and curb unsafe practices in the meat trade. The prohibitory order will remain in effect until further notice, or until authorities confirm that the products pose no health risk.
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