Lok Sabha Question No. 894 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-24
Subject: Food Safety
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., N.K. PREMACHANDRAN, C. N. JAYADEVAN, CHARANJEET SINGH RORI

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.894**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 24** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**Food Safety**

**894.	 SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:**

**SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:**

**SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:**

**SHRI C.N. JAYADEVAN:**

**SHRI CHARANJEET SINGH RORI:**

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

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the fact that highly toxic and hazardous chemical preservatives and pesticides which are banned/restricted in most countries in the world are being used in the food items including fruits and vegetables in the country, if so, the details thereof indicating the deleterious effect of the said chemicals on the human health;

(b) the number of cases detected, inspection/raid conducted, conviction made in this regard during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise; and

(c) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to regulate and control the excessive use of the said chemicals to ensure food safety?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)**

(a):	The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has fixed safety standards under the  ‘Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 as amended from time to time. The Maximum Residual Levels (MRLs) of pesticides in fruits and vegetables have been specified in these standards. Presence of pesticide residues beyond these levels in fruits and vegetable is treated as a violation of the standards laid down under the said Regulations, which attracts action as per provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act. Sub regulations 2.3.6 provides that the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables should be free from rotting and free from coating of waxes, mineral oil and colours with the provision that fresh fruits may be coated with bees wax (white and yellow) or carnauba wax or shellac wax at levels not exceeding Good Manufacturing Practices under proper label declaration.

Pesticides can adversely effect the nervous system and also cause several diseases such as cancer and those relating to liver, kidney, and lung.

(b):	The information made available by the State/UT Governments in respect of food samples collected, tested, found not conforming to the prescribed standards,  and action taken against the violation of FSS Act, Rules and Regulations thereunder, during last three years is indicated in **Annexures I, II and III.**

(c):	The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 primarily rests with the State/ UT Governments. The officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective States/ UTs collect random samples to ensure compliance with laid down standards.  FSSAI interacts with the State Food Safety Commissioners on such issues from time to time including in the meetings of the Central Advisory Committee.

**Annexure-I**

| **Annual Laboratory Testing Report in STATES/UTs  for the year 2012-13**   |                            |                             |                                                     |                                           |                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **Sr. No.**                                                                | **Name of the State/U.T.** | **No. of Samples Analysed** | **No. of Samples found adulterated and Misbranded** | **No. of Cases Launched Criminal/ Civil** | **No. of Conviction/ Penalties** |
| 1                                                                          | Andhra Pradesh             | 1511                        | 429                                                 | 286                                       | Rs. 55,000                       |
| 2                                                                          | A & N Islands              | 133                         | 16                                                  | 0                                         | 0                                |
| 3                                                                          | Arunachal Pradesh          | 198                         | 11                                                  | 11                                        | 2/Rs. 3,100                      |
| 4                                                                          | Assam                      | 306                         | 58                                                  | 31                                        | 16/Rs. 2,45,000                  |
| 5                                                                          | Bihar                      | 1407                        | 371                                                 | 249                                       | 0                                |
| 6                                                                          | Chandigarh                 | 183                         | 16                                                  | 7                                         | 0                                |
| 7                                                                          | Chhattisgarh               | 353                         | 142                                                 | 111                                       | 45/ Rs.  11,84,000               |
|                                                                            | Dadra & N.H.               | -                           | -                                                   | -                                         | 0                                |
| 9                                                                          | Daman & Diu (Gujarat)      | 44                          | 4                                                   | -                                         | 2                                |
| 10                                                                         | Delhi                      | 1383                        | 145                                                 | 50                                        | 62                               |
| 11                                                                         | Goa                        | 610                         | 31                                                  | 14                                        | 1/Rs. 20,000                     |
| 12                                                                         | Gujarat                    | 11047                       | 881                                                 | 46                                        | 7/Rs. 97,500                     |
| 13                                                                         | Haryana                    | 1562                        | 255                                                 | 131                                       | 0                                |
| 14                                                                         | Himachal Pradesh           | 274                         | 44                                                  | 53                                        | 24                               |
| 15                                                                         | Jammu & Kashmir            | 2224                        | 610                                                 | 488                                       | 288/Rs. 28,52,050                |
| 16                                                                         | Jharkhand                  | -                           | -                                                   | -                                         | 0                                |
| 17                                                                         | Karnataka                  | 3118                        | 172                                                 | 29                                        | 85                               |
| 18                                                                         | Kerala                     | 12                          | 3                                                   | 0                                         | Rs. 1,63,280                     |
| 19                                                                         | Lakshadweep                | -                           | -                                                   | -                                         | -                                |
| 20                                                                         | Madhya Pradesh             | 8101                        | 2043                                                | 1183                                      | 844                              |
| 21                                                                         | Maharashtra                | 7800                        | 757                                                 | 114                                       | 228/Rs. 82,99,485                |
| 22                                                                         | Manipur                    | 165                         | 2                                                   | -                                         | 0                                |
| 23                                                                         | Meghalaya                  | 14                          | 1                                                   | -                                         | -                                |
| 24                                                                         | Mizoram                    | -                           | -                                                   | -                                         | -                                |
| 25                                                                         | Nagaland                   | NA                          | 0                                                   | 0                                         | 0                                |
| 26                                                                         | Orissa                     | 1871                        | 418                                                 | 0                                         | 0                                |
| 27                                                                         | Puducherry                 | -                           | -                                                   | -                                         | -                                |
| 28                                                                         | Punjab                     | 4782                        | 553                                                 | 304                                       | 92                               |
| 29                                                                         | Rajasthan                  | 10236                       | 186                                                 | -                                         | 295                              |
| 30                                                                         | Sikkim                     | -                           | -                                                   |                                           | -                                |
| 31                                                                         | Tamil Nadu                 | 474                         | 78                                                  | 48                                        | 2                                |
| 32                                                                         | Tripura                    | -                           | -                                                   | -                                         | -                                |
| 33                                                                         | Uttar Pradesh              | 11086                       | 2927                                                | 2551                                      | 1010/Rs. 3,70,96,600             |
| 34                                                                         | Uttarakhand                | 964                         | 186                                                 | 134                                       | 55/Rs. 22,44,001                 |
| 35                                                                         | West Bengal                | 91                          | 41                                                  | -                                         | -                                |
|                                                                            | **Total:**                 | **69949**                   | **10380**                                           | **5840**                                  | **3175/**  **Rs. 5,24,95,016**   |

**Annexure-II**

| **Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report (2013-2014)**   |                            |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| **Sr. No.**                                               | **Name of the State/U.T.** | **Total No. of samples taken** | **No. of Samples Analysed** | **No. of Samples found adulterated and Misbranded** | **No. of Cases Launched** |           | **No. of Convictions/ Penalties** |                                        |
|                                                           |                            |                                |                             |                                                     | **Criminal**              | **Civil** | **Convictions**                   | **Penalties/ Amount raised in Rupees** |
|                                                           | A & N Islands              | 1                              | 1                           |                                                     | Nil                       | Nil       | Nil                               | 18/ Rs. 14,500                         |
|                                                           | Andhra Pradesh             | 4038                           | 4038                        | 716                                                 | 417                       | 200       |                                   | Rs. 39,94,385                          |
|                                                           | Arunachal Pradesh          | 213                            | 213                         | 9                                                   | 1                         | 8         |                                   | 9/Rs. 6,33,000                         |
|                                                           | Assam                      | 435                            | 435                         | 53                                                  | 26                        | 26        | Nil                               | Nil                                    |
|                                                           | Bihar                      | 1189                           | 1103                        | 121                                                 | 19                        | 71        | Nil                               | 14/ Rs. 2,26,000                       |
|                                                           | Chandigarh                 | 146                            | 146                         | 9                                                   | 5                         | 6         | Nil                               | 3                                      |
|                                                           | Chhattisgarh               | 294                            | 294                         | 112                                                 |                           | 56        | Nil                               | 7/ Rs. 3,49,000                        |
|                                                           | Dadra & N.H.               | 6                              | 6                           | 3                                                   | Nil                       | 3         | 3/ Rs. 35,000                     | Nil                                    |
|                                                           | Daman & Diu                | 40                             | 40                          | 0                                                   | 0                         | 0         | 0                                 | 0                                      |
|                                                           | Delhi                      | 1187                           | 1187                        | 118                                                 |                           | 69        | NA                                | Rs. 15,73,000                          |
|                                                           | Goa                        | 704                            | 696                         | 37                                                  | 6                         | 7         | 2                                 | Rs. 27,000                             |
|                                                           | Gujarat                    | 11111                          | 10495                       | 900                                                 | 56                        | 341       | 16                                | 12/ Rs. 1,90,000                       |
|                                                           | Haryana                    | 2101                           | 2101                        | 293                                                 | 37                        | 223       | 37                                | 129/ Rs.26,61,800                      |
|                                                           | Himachal  Pradesh          | 236                            | 157                         | 129                                                 | 1                         | 22        | 0                                 | 7/ Rs 7,00,000                         |
|                                                           | Jammu & Kashmir            | 3109                           | 2851                        | 682                                                 | 15                        | 526       | 353                               | Rs. 2,76,600                           |
|                                                           | Jharkhand                  | 1075                           | 725                         | 144                                                 | 99                        |           | 8                                 | Rs 22,07,000                           |
|                                                           | Karnataka                  | 2224                           | 2153                        | 133                                                 | 59                        |           | 3                                 | 72                                     |
|                                                           | Kerala                     | 682                            | 664                         | 138                                                 | 104                       | 0         | 0                                 | 810/  Rs. 55,35,000                    |
|                                                           | Lakshadweep                |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Madhya Pradesh             | 4743                           | 4599                        | 1433                                                | 233                       | 603       | 3                                 | 133/  Rs. 29,32,000                    |
|                                                           | Maharashtra                | 7677                           | 7516                        | 1523                                                | 1172                      | 1385      | 49                                | 17/Rs. 41,76,500                       |
|                                                           | Manipur                    |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Meghalaya                  | 17                             | 14                          | 7                                                   |                           | 6         |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Mizoram                    | No lab                         |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Nagaland                   | 66                             | 66                          | 21                                                  | 0                         | 0         | 0                                 | 0                                      |
|                                                           | Orissa                     |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Puducherry                 | 4741                           | 4741                        | 319                                                 |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Punjab                     | 6227                           | 5884                        | 771                                                 | 203                       |           | 3                                 | 77                                     |
|                                                           | Rajasthan                  | 6375                           | 6375                        | 1160                                                |                           | 436       |                                   | 112/ Rs.15,50,000                      |
|                                                           | Sikkim                     |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Tamil Nadu                 | 707                            | 658                         | 261                                                 | 8                         | 40        | 16                                | Rs. 6,59,800                           |
|                                                           | Tripura                    |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | Uttar Pradesh              | 11579                          | 13554                       | 4275                                                | 2930                      | 2930      | 409                               | 1510/  Rs.4,47,84, 400                 |
|                                                           | Uttarakhand                | 1503                           | 851                         | 169                                                 | 5                         | 117       |                                   | Rs. 5,06,489                           |
|                                                           | West Bengal                |                                |                             |                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                        |
|                                                           | **Total:**                 | **72,994**                     | **72,200**                  | **13,571**                                          | **3105**                  | **7130**  | **913**                           | **2932/**  **Rs. 7,29,89,474**         |

**Annexure-III**

| **Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for the year 2014-2015**   |                             |                                |                             |           |                                                         |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| **Sr. No.**                                                          | **Name of the State/ U.T.** | **Total No. of samples taken** | **No. of Samples Analysed** |           | **No. of Samples found adulterated and/ or Misbranded** | **No. of Cases Launched** |           | **No. of Convictions/ Penalties** |                                             |
|                                                                      |                             |                                |                             |           |                                                         | **Criminal**              | **Civil** | **Convictions**                   | **Penalties/**  **Amount raised in Rupees** |
|                                                                      | A & N Islands               | 17                             | 16                          | 16        | 4                                                       | 0                         | 0         | 0                                 | 14/Rs.4,55,000                              |
|                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh              | 2788                           | 2788                        | 2788      | 290                                                     | 338                       | 78        | 0                                 | Rs.51,63,020                                |
|                                                                      | Arunachal Pradesh           | 292                            | 258                         | 258       | 29                                                      | 2                         | 14        |                                   | 7                                           |
|                                                                      | Assam*                      | 327                            | 327                         | 327       | 37                                                      | 12                        |           | 4                                 | Rs. 70,000                                  |
|                                                                      | Bihar                       | 1763                           | 1320                        | 1320      | 7                                                       |                           | 16        |                                   | 5/ Rs. 38,000                               |
|                                                                      | Chandigarh                  | 102                            | 102                         | 102       | 5                                                       | 5                         |           |                                   | Rs. 1,50,000                                |
|                                                                      | Chhattisgarh                | 133                            | 133                         | 133       | 27                                                      | 14                        | 41        |                                   | 16                                          |
|                                                                      | Dadra & N.H                 | 9                              | 2                           | 2         |                                                         |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Daman & Diu                 | 65                             | 65                          | 65        | 3                                                       |                           | 3         |                                   | 3/ Rs.30,000                                |
|                                                                      | Delhi                       |                                | 1480                        | 1480      | 148                                                     |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Goa                         | 798                            | 800                         | 800       | 81                                                      | 1                         | 4         | 4                                 | Rs. 4,35,000                                |
|                                                                      | Gujarat*                    | 5638                           | 5471                        | 5471      | 522                                                     | 41                        | 47        | 26                                | Rs.20,93,500                                |
|                                                                      | Haryana*                    | 989                            | 989                         | 989       | 105                                                     | 08                        | 114       | 6                                 | Rs.1,500                                    |
|                                                                      | Himachal  Pradesh *         | 218                            | 132                         | 132       | 31                                                      | 24                        | 28        | 25                                | Rs.22,93,000                                |
|                                                                      | Jammu & Kashmir*            | 1397                           | 1211                        | 1211      | 236                                                     | 8                         | 195       | 133                               | Rs.11,08,300                                |
|                                                                      | Jharkhand*                  | 389                            | 232                         | 232       | 51                                                      | 22                        | 3         |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Karnataka                   | 2154                           | 2110                        | 2110      | 311                                                     | 56                        |           |                                   | 42                                          |
|                                                                      | Kerala                      | 3085                           | 2735                        | 2735      | 464                                                     | 41                        | 161       | 0                                 | 280/ Rs.72,39,700                           |
|                                                                      | Lakshadweep                 |                                |                             |           |                                                         |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Madhya Pradesh              | 9532                           | 9131                        | 9131      | 1412                                                    | 127                       | 716       | 418                               | 418/ Rs.43,28,000                           |
|                                                                      | Maharashtra                 | 8663                           | 6985                        | 6985      | 1162                                                    | 869                       | 1426      | 75                                | Rs.1,65,41,499                              |
|                                                                      | Manipur                     |                                |                             |           |                                                         |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Meghalaya                   | 47                             | 34                          | 34        | 4                                                       | 0                         | 4         | 2                                 | 1/ Rs.10,000                                |
|                                                                      | Mizoram                     |                                |                             |           |                                                         |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Nagaland                    | 83                             | 83                          | 83        | 11                                                      | 0                         | 0         | 0                                 | 0                                           |
|                                                                      | Odisha                      | 544                            | 544                         | 544       | 112                                                     | 0                         | 1         |                                   | 1                                           |
|                                                                      | Puducherry*                 | 972                            | 972                         | 972       | 30                                                      |                           | 1         |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Punjab*                     | 4124                           | 3949                        | 3949      | 577                                                     | 220                       |           | 161                               | 24                                          |
|                                                                      | Rajasthan*                  | 3132                           | 3031                        | 3031      | 747                                                     | 158                       | 222       | 116                               | Rs.8,45,500                                 |
|                                                                      | Sikkim                      |                                |                             |           |                                                         |                           |           |                                   |                                             |
|                                                                      | Tamil Nadu                  | 2939                           | 2873                        | 2873      | 1047                                                    | 64                        | 486       | 203                               | Rs.34,99,700                                |
|                                                                      | Telangana                   | 393                            | 357                         | 357       | 37                                                      |                           | 87        |                                   | 51/ Rs.17,57,100                            |
|                                                                      | Tripura                     | 933                            | 933                         | 933       | 2                                                       | 0                         | 0         | 0                                 | 0                                           |
|                                                                      | Uttar Pradesh               | 14173                          | 9605                        | 9605      | 4119                                                    | 161                       | 3489      | 186                               | 1738/  Rs.5,98,08,106                       |
|                                                                      | Uttarakhand                 | 1971                           | 1356                        | 1356      | 233                                                     | 5                         | 117       | 0                                 | 80/Rs.5,06,489                              |
|                                                                      | West Bengal                 | 120                            | 120                         | 120       | 65                                                      | 0                         | 17        | 0                                 | 1/Rs. 30,000                                |
|                                                                      | **Total:**                  | **68197**                      |                             | **60548** | **12077**                                               | **1989**                  | **7241**  | **1355**                          | **2682/ Rs.10,64,03,414**                   |

* Data upto 30.09.2014