Lok Sabha Question No. 325 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-18
Subject: Plastic Rice and Sugar
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SHIVKUMAR CHANABASAPPA UDASI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 325 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  JULY, 2017

## PLASTIC RICE AND SUGAR

## 325. SHRI SHIVKUMAR UDASI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there were videos on social networking platforms about rice and sugar being made of plastic, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India is collecting samples of rice and sugar from various parts of country, if so, details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government would take action against the manufacturers/producers/importers/sellers of plastic rice and sugar, if so, the
- details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a): Yes, Madam. However, the matter has been taken up with the State Governments of Kerala and Gujarat on the basis of International Food Safety Authorities  Network  (INFOSAN)  alert.  The  concerned  State  Governments have  confirmed  that  no  incidence  of  plastic  rice  has  been  reported  in  the respective States.
- (b): Random  sampling  and  testing  of  food  products,  including  Rice  and Sugar, is done by the Officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective States/UTs to check compliance of the standards laid down under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations made there under. In cases where the food samples are found to be non-conforming, recourse is taken to penal provisions under Chapter IX of the FSS Act, 2006.  Based on information  made  available  by  the  State/UT  Governments,  details  of  food samples received, analysed, found non-conforming and action taken during the year 2016-17 is at Annexure-I .
- (c): No  specific  case  of  presence  of  plastic  rice  and  sugar  has  been detected  in  the  country.    However,  under  the  provisions  of  the  Consumer Protection Act, 1986, one can approach Consumer Fora for redressal in case of defective products and deficiency in service.

****

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEX REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO  325  TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 th  JULY, 2017 IN LOK SABHA.

|        | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   | Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2016-2017   |
|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sr. No | Nameof the State/ U.T.                                           | Total No. of samples received                                    | No. of Samples Analysed                                          | No. of Samples found adulterated and Misbranded                  | No. of Cases Launched                                            | No. of Cases Launched                                            | No. of Convictions/ Penalties                                    | No. of Convictions/ Penalties                                    |
| Sr. No | Nameof the State/ U.T.                                           | Total No. of samples received                                    | No. of Samples Analysed                                          | No. of Samples found adulterated and Misbranded                  | Criminal                                                         | Civil                                                            | Convictio ns                                                     | Penalties/ Amount raised in Rupees                               |
| 1.     | A&N Islands *                                                    |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 2.     | Andhra Pradesh *                                                 |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 3.     | Arunachal Pradesh                                                | 302                                                              | 302                                                              | 10                                                               | 1                                                                | 8                                                                | 0                                                                | 12/Rs. 348400                                                    |
| 4.     | Assam                                                            | 536                                                              | 526                                                              | 67                                                               | 3                                                                | 23                                                               | 0                                                                | 2/Rs. 30000                                                      |
| 5.     | Bihar                                                            | 2507                                                             | 2427                                                             | 42                                                               | 3                                                                | 30                                                               | 6                                                                | Rs. 73000                                                        |
| 6.     | Chandigarh                                                       | 251                                                              | 251                                                              | 19                                                               | 2                                                                | 14                                                               | 1                                                                | Rs. 300000                                                       |
| 7.     | Chhattisgarh                                                     | 1693                                                             | 1693                                                             | 425                                                              |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 8.     | Dadra &N.H                                                       | 44                                                               | 44                                                               | 3                                                                |                                                                  | 3                                                                |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 9.     | Daman& Diu *                                                     |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 10.    | Delhi                                                            | 1155                                                             | 1152                                                             | 120                                                              | 9                                                                | 98                                                               | 106                                                              | 68/Rs. 3741500                                                   |
| 11.    | Goa                                                              | 920                                                              | 874                                                              | 111                                                              |                                                                  | 5                                                                | 1                                                                | 1/ Rs. 20000                                                     |
| 12.    | Gujarat                                                          | 11364                                                            | 11329                                                            | 839                                                              | 46                                                               | 513                                                              | 2                                                                | Rs. 16681000                                                     |
| 13.    | Haryana                                                          | 2041                                                             | 2033                                                             | 188                                                              | 18                                                               | 243                                                              | 14                                                               | 71/ Rs. 2982170                                                  |
| 14.    | Himachal                                                         | 351                                                              | 315                                                              |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  | Rs. 195000                                                       |
| 15.    | Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir *                                        |                                                                  |                                                                  | 57                                                               |                                                                  | 35                                                               | 23                                                               |                                                                  |
| 16.    | Jharkhand *                                                      |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 17.    | Karnataka                                                        | 2837                                                             | 2837                                                             | 341                                                              | 26                                                               | 112                                                              |                                                                  | 112/ Rs. 2195900                                                 |
| 18.    | Kerala *                                                         |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 19.    | Lakshadweep *                                                    |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 20.    | Madhya Pradesh                                                   | 5075                                                             | 5461                                                             | 609                                                              | 60                                                               | 483                                                              | 26                                                               | 252/ Rs. 7427700                                                 |
| 21.    | Maharashtra                                                      |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 22.    | Manipur                                                          | 207                                                              | 207                                                              | 30                                                               | 0                                                                | 30                                                               | 0                                                                | 5/ Rs. 520000                                                    |
| 23.    | Meghalaya                                                        | 47                                                               | 43                                                               | 3                                                                |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 24.    | Mizoram                                                          | 26                                                               | 20                                                               | 2                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                |                                                                  |
| 25.    | Nagaland *                                                       |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 26.    | Odisha *                                                         |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 27.    | Puducherry                                                       | 495                                                              | 495                                                              | 32                                                               | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                |                                                                  |
| 28.    | Punjab                                                           | 4431                                                             | 4054                                                             | 2240                                                             | 56                                                               | 1442                                                             |                                                                  | Rs. 1410921                                                      |
| 29.    | Rajasthan *                                                      |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 30.    | Sikkim *                                                         |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 31.    | Tamil Nadu                                                       | 4080                                                             | 3022                                                             | 970                                                              | 244                                                              | 617                                                              | 109                                                              | 442/ Rs. 7898500                                                 |
| 32.    | Telangana                                                        |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 33.    | Tripura                                                          | 173                                                              | 173                                                              | 12                                                               | 0                                                                | 6                                                                | 0                                                                |                                                                  |
| 34.    | Uttar Pradesh *                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
| 35.    | Uttarakhand                                                      | 749                                                              | 676                                                              | 119                                                              | 3                                                                | 199                                                              |                                                                  | 19/ Rs. 1004000                                                  |
| 36.    | West Bengal *                                                    |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |                                                                  |
|        | Total:                                                           | 39284                                                            | 37934                                                            | 6239                                                             | 471                                                              | 3861                                                             | 288                                                              | 984/ Rs.4,48,28,091                                              |

Note:

Annual Report of the States* are awaited.

Source: States/UTs