Dr. Ajaz Afzal Lone
Food plays a vital role in the life of human beings, where it is both sustenance and a contributor to socio-economic development. It is not only nutrition but also cultural, economic, and environmental aspects as well. The food systems include aspects of society, economy and ecology and integrate the entire cycle of food production, processing, reducing and consumption, and food disposal. The pinnacle value of food is expressed in its ability to promote food security,which makes all individuals attain adequate, safe, and nutritional food so that they can adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Kashmir’s food culture was once built on trust. Butchers were known, poultry was local, and purchases were personal. Today, this ecosystem has fragmented into a complex network of suppliers, cold storage facilities, and middlemen, driven more by profit than principle. Economicincentivesguidemodernmarkets, but when the pursuit of profit comes at the cost of ethics, they become dangerous. The apparent collapse of moral responsibility in the food supply chain is now undermining both public health and economic confidence. Consumers no longer trust meat, poultry, or even grains from commercial establishments. This erosion of trust is not only a matter of public health but, in Kashmir’s socio-religious context, a matter of deep moral and spiritual consequence.
In a Muslim-majority region, the purity of food is not just a health issue; it’s a matter of religious observance. The dread of unknowingly consuming haram meat looms large. When food sourcing lacks transparency and storage standards falter, consumers are left doubly vulnerable: to disease and spiritual violation. Religious scholars and health experts alike have sounded the alarm andare urging people to avoid dining out until proper checks and systems are restored. One officer noted this is not just a legal violation, it’s a betrayal of public trust. People have the right to know what they’re eating, and whether it aligns with their faith and health.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the transition from traditional to modern diets is influenced by urbanisation and socio-economic development. Traditionally, the dietary habits in this region have been deeply rooted in local agricultural practices, with a preference for fresh, local produce such as apples, apricots, and diverse horticultural crops.These foods are culturally and nutritionally important as they encompass all the vital vitamins and also bring about the local economy. Also, the reasoning of several wild edible mushrooms’ food and medical applications in applying the mushroom to food and traditional medicine being used in the region is a mark of biodiversity in socially encompassing traditional food.
However, with increasing urbanisation, there is a noticeable shift towards more diverse diets that include processed and packaged foods, reflecting broader global dietary trends. This transition is typical of the “nutrition transition,” where urbanisation leads to increased consumption of processed foods high in fats, sugars, and refined grains, which are readily available in urban food environments.While urbanisation can enhance access to diverse and nutritious foods, it also facilitates the consumption of unhealthy diets, particularly among those who can afford them. For the economically disadvantaged, the most accessible diets in urban areas often consist of inexpensive, unhealthy, highlyprocessed options. This shift poses public health challenges, including increased incidences of diet-related non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, which are becoming more prevalent as traditional diets give way to modern dietary patterns
In Jammu and Kashmir, food safety enforcement remains heavily dependent on manual inspections, which are often slow, inconsistent, and susceptible to corruption. The absence of modern monitoring systems allows unregulated slaughterhouses to operate without mandatory veterinary checks, and meat often reaches markets without testing for antibiotics or hormones. Similarly, there are reports that fake “Basmati,” plastic rice, and pesticide-laden grains continue to circulate due to weak supply chain oversight. To address this, blockchain-based traceability,such as QR codes on meat packaging to track origin and expiry,combined with IoT temperature sensors in cold storage facilities, can help prevent spoilage and contamination. District-level mobile food-testing vans should be deployed across Jammu and Kashmir, alongside a strict policy of blacklisting suppliers found guilty of selling adulterated products. Stricter penalties, fast-track courts for food safety violations, public awareness campaigns, and whistle-blower reward schemessupported by active media coverageare essential to restore public trust and ensure safe food for all.Food enforcement agencies in Jammu and Kashmir must be strengthened through greater departmental accountability, adequate staffing, and the deployment of advanced mobile laboratories equipped to high testing standards. Currently, limited manpower and insufficient resources hinder regular market checks, while the restaurant and hotel industry often escapes rigorous scrutiny. Weak deterrence,usually limited to small fines,fails to curb violations; instead, hefty penalties, license cancellations, and public blacklisting should be enforced to send a strong message. Routine inspections across markets, eateries, and supply chains, combined with consumer awareness campaigns, are vital to building a culture of food safety and ensuring that quality standards are upheld at every stage.
Legally, these concerns fall squarely under the ambit of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This is the primary central legislation governing food safety in India. It fully applies to Jammu & Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. which sets strict obligations on food businesses that, in Jammu and Kashmir, are too often neglected. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) establishes binding obligations on all Food Business Operators (“FBOs”) to ensure that food manufactured, stored, transported, or distributed is safe for human consumption and conforms to prescribed standards. Section 26 of the FSSA imposes direct liability on FBOs for food safety, while Section 38 empowers Food Safety Officers to inspect, seize, and destroy unsafe food.
Further, the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, mandate hygiene compliance, licensing, and registration for all FBOs. Within Jammu and Kashmir, statutory enforcement authority rests with the Commissioner of Food Safety under the Department of Health and Medical Education, supported by municipal bodies, police authorities, and other designated enforcement agencies.
Despite this statutory framework, recurring incidents of contamination and unsafe food distribution reveal systemic shortcomings in enforcement. Regulatory interventions have been largely reactive triggered only after visible spoilage or significant public complaint rather than preventive through routine and unannounced inspections, which are a fundamental component of an effective enforcement regime. This failure to conduct regular monitoring has allowed hazards to persist undetected, undermining the preventive purpose of the FSSA.
Sections 50to 67 of the FSSA, 2006, provide for penal consequences, including fines and imprisonment, for repeated violations. However, there is no publicly available record of consistent prosecutions or convictions in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating a substantial gap between the legislative mandate and actual enforcement practice. This enforcement deficit appears to have diluted the deterrent effect of the law and may have reduced its efficacy in safeguarding public health. Without consistent enforcement, the legal framework remains a promise on paper rather than a shield for public health.
This crisis cannot be solved by the government alone. A society that once relied on communal networks for food verification must now reinvent those structures through citizen engagement.Civil society,including mosques, consumer rights groups, and community elders,must demand answers and action. Awareness campaigns on identifying spoiled food, the religious implications of haram consumption, and channels for reporting food violations must become commonplace.Equally, media and local journalists have a critical role to play in sustaining public pressure and transparency. Silence is complicity.Unless the public, government, and religious leaders act in concert, some fear that Kashmir could risk turning its daily bread into a daily threat…”
Dr Ajaz Afzal Lone, is working as Assistant Professor at the University Institute of Legal Studies in Chandigarh University.
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