The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a state-level regulatory authority and law enforcement agency, functioning as the state's principal instrument for consumer protection. It operates under the Medical Education and Drugs Department of the Government of Maharashtra. The institution initially began as the Directorate of Drugs Control to enforce the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It was renamed the Food and Drug Administration in 1970 when the state government entrusted it with the responsibility of enforcing the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
The FDA's core mechanism is the enforcement of key central legislations, primarily the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It implements the FSSA, 2006, and its Rules and Regulations, 2011, in coordination with the central body, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The enforcement machinery includes the Food Safety Commissioner, Joint Commissioners, and Food Safety Officers, who conduct inspections, grant licenses, and test samples in state laboratories located in cities like Mumbai and Nagpur.
The FDA has seen recent changes, particularly in its food safety enforcement. A recent order tightened compliance for food establishments, mandating proof of safety through test reports, water testing every six months, and monitoring of used cooking oil. The state government is also preparing a draft amendment to the FSSA, 2006, and its Regulations, 2011, to introduce stricter provisions against food adulteration. Historically, the state had amended the Prevention of Food Adulteration (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 1969, in 2007 to make all offenses under the Act cognizable and non-bailable.