Lok Sabha Question No. 3736 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Curbing Adulterated food
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Queen Oja, Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal, Rodmal Nagar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3736 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  MARCH, 2022

## CURBING ADULTERATED FOOD

## 3736. SHRIMATI QUEEN OJA: DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL: SHRI RODMAL NAGAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has set up any monitoring mechanism to regulate and curb the companies producing adulterated and poor quality food products; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the number of such cases of adulteration in food products reported during the last three years and the current year; and
- (d) the penal action taken thereon?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  to  (d):  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  was  established  in  2008 under  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Act,  2006  primarily  for  laying  down  science  based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Food  Safety  and  Standards  Regulations  Act  2006  and  Rules  and  Regulations,  lay down  the  quality  and  safety  standards  for  various  articles  of  food.  Implementation  and enforcement  of  these  standards  primarily  lies  with  the  State/UT  Governments.  Regular surveillance,  monitoring,  inspection  and  sampling  of  food  products  from  all  sources  i.e. manufacturers,  wholesalers,  distributors,  transporters,  retail  markets  etc.  are  carried  out  by Food Safety  Officers  of  States/UTs  and  in  cases  of  non-compliance,  penal  action  is  taken against  the  defaulting  Food  Business  Operators  (FBOs)  as  per  the  provisions  of  FSS  Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations.

In order to address the gaps in the food safety eco-system of States/UTs and to ensure safe  and  wholesome  food  through  pooling  of  technical  knowledge  and  best  practices  as  a shared  responsibility,  FSSAI  has  signed  Memorandums  of  Understanding  (MoUs)  with States/  UTs  to  extend  both  technical  and  financial  support  to  the  States/UT  Governments.

FSSAI  has  extended  financial  support  to  States/UTs  under  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  for strengthening of food testing infrastructure. FSSAI has regularly urged States/UTs to carry out targeted enforcement and surveillance drive to check adulteration in food products. As per reports received from States/UTs, details of food samples analysed, found adulterated/sub-standard/misbranded and action taken thereon during the last three years i.e. 2018-19, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 is as below: -

| Year    | No. of Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples found non- conforming   | Action taken -Civil Cases   | Action taken -Civil Cases   | Action taken -Civil Cases   | Action taken-Criminal Cases   | Action taken-Criminal Cases   | Action taken-Criminal Cases   |
|---------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Year    | No. of Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples found non- conforming   | No. of Cases Launched       | No. of Cases decided        | No. of Convict ions         | No. of Cases Launch ed        | No. of Cases decided          | No. of Convictions            |
| 2018-19 | 106459                    | 30415                                  | 18550                       | 12734                       | Not availa ble              | 2813                          | NA                            | 701                           |
| 2019-20 | 118775                    | 29589                                  | 27412                       | 18192                       | 17345                       | 4681                          | 828                           | 780                           |
| 2020-21 | 107829                    | 28347                                  | 24195                       | 15878                       | 14817                       | 3869                          | 520                           | 506                           |

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