Lok Sabha Question No. 1385 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Food Safety Committee
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1385 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28TH JULY, 2023

## FOOD SAFETYCOMMITTEE

## 1385. DR. T. SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plans to constitute a food safety committee for each district across the country to check, monitor and identify adulteration in food products in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise, district-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has taken stringent measures to curb adulteration of food products and consumables in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is true that there is rampant adulteration in almost every consumable and food products which are being adulterated with dangerous chemicals in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has any plans to appoint more Food Safety officers to inspect and identify the adulteration of food products and to book them under the respective law(s); and
- (f) if so, the details thereof alongwith the role of State Governments in this regard?

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

(a) to (f): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) advised States/UT Governments to constitute District Level Advisory Committee(DLAC) vide letter dated 20 th November, 2018 to assist aid and advise the Commissioner of Food Safety on food safety related issues. State wise list of 636 DLACs constituted by States/ UTs is at Annexure.

Implementation and enforcement of provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 primarily lies with State/UT Governments. Commissioner of Food Safety of States/UTs regularly conducts surveillance, sampling and enforcement drives to curb adulteration of food products. Further, in order to ensure the availability of sale and supply of safe and wholesome food, FSSAI regularly interacts with the Commissioner of Food Safety of States/UTs to ensure that food safety officials regularly draw food samples and take strict action against the offenders under the provisions of FSS Act, 2006.As per reports received from States/UTs, the number of food samples analysed, found non-conforming and action taken thereon during 2019-2020 to 2022-2023 is as below:-

| Year    | No. of Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples found non- conforming   | No. of Civil Cases launched   | No. of Criminal Casess Launched   |
|---------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2019-20 | 118775                    | 29589                                  | 27412                         | 4681                              |
| 2020-21 | 107829                    | 28347                                  | 24195                         | 3869                              |
| 2021-22 | 1,65,381                  | 32,934                                 | 28,906                        | 4,946                             |
| 2022-23 | 1,78,710                  | 44,421                                 | 38,053                        | 4,817                             |

States/ UTs have been advised by FSSAI to appoint the Food Safety Officers for proper enforcement of the provisions of FSS Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations.

……………………

## Details of Advisory Committees (Q4/2022-2023)

| Ser   | State/UT                    |   Districts |   No. of DLAC |
|-------|-----------------------------|-------------|---------------|
| 1     | Andaman And Nicobar Islands |           3 |             3 |
| 2     | Andhra Pradesh              |          13 |            13 |
| 3     | Arunachal Pradesh           |          25 |            25 |
| 4     | Assam                       |          33 |            33 |
| 5     | Bihar                       |          38 |            38 |
| 6     | Chandigarh                  |           1 |             0 |
| 7     | Chhattisgarh                |          28 |            10 |
| 8     | DadraNH&DD                  |           3 |             0 |
| 9     | Delhi                       |          11 |             0 |
| 10    | Goa                         |           2 |             2 |
| 11    | Gujarat                     |          33 |            38 |
| 12    | Haryana                     |          22 |             0 |
| 13    | Himachal Pradesh            |          12 |            11 |
| 14    | Jammu &Kashmir              |          20 |            20 |
| 15    | Jharkhand                   |          24 |            24 |
| 16    | Karnataka                   |          30 |            31 |
| 17    | Kerala                      |          14 |            14 |
| 18    | Ladakh                      |           2 |             2 |
| 19    | Lakshadweep                 |           1 |             0 |
| 20    | Madhya Pradesh              |          51 |            51 |
| 21    | Maharashtra                 |          36 |            36 |
| 22    | Manipur                     |          16 |            14 |
| 23    | Meghalaya                   |          11 |            11 |
| 24    | Mizoram                     |           8 |             8 |
| 25    | Nagaland                    |          11 |            11 |
| 26    | Orissa                      |          30 |            30 |
| 27    | Puducherry                  |           4 |             0 |
| 28    | Punjab                      |          22 |            23 |
| 29    | Rajasthan                   |          33 |            33 |
| 30    | Sikkim                      |           4 |             4 |
| 31    | Tamil Nadu                  |          38 |            32 |
| 32    | Telangana                   |          31 |             0 |
| 33    | Tripura                     |           8 |             8 |
| 34    | Uttar Pradesh               |          75 |            75 |
| 35    | Uttarakhand                 |          13 |            13 |
| 36    | West Bengal                 |          23 |            23 |
|       | Total                       |         729 |           636 |

## Annexure