Dehradun, Oct 19 — The Uttarakhand government has introduced a new rule making it mandatory for sweet shops across the state to display the manufacturing and expiry dates of unpackaged sweets. The move is aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring food safety, said officials.
The new system will come into effect across Uttarakhand from October 26. Under the directive, sweet shop owners will have to prominently display the date of preparation and the period up to which the sweets remain fit for consumption on trays and counters where open sweets are kept for sale.
According to the directive, the rule will also apply to bakery products, ensuring that customers have access to information about the freshness and shelf life of items before purchasing them.
Food Safety Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey has issued the necessary orders in this regard.
According to officials, the decision was taken after inspections revealed that consumers were often unable to obtain information about when unpackaged sweets were prepared and how long they could safely be consumed.
Unlike packaged food products, which generally carry manufacturing and expiry or best-before details, open sweets displayed at shop counters often lack such information. This makes it difficult for customers to assess their freshness and suitability for consumption.
Under the new arrangement, shopkeepers will be required to ensure that the relevant dates are clearly visible to customers at the point of sale.
The government expects the measure to improve transparency in the sale of sweets and bakery products while strengthening accountability among food business operators.
The initiative is particularly significant ahead of the festive and wedding seasons, when demand for sweets and bakery items is set to rise considerably across the state.
With the new rule, consumers will be able to make informed purchasing decisions by checking when the products were prepared and how long they remain suitable for consumption, said officials.
The Food Safety Department is expected to ensure compliance with the new directions through inspections of sweet shops and other establishments selling such products, officials added.