Lok Sabha Question No. 4654 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Strengthening of Food Regulatory Ecosystem
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4654 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 th MARCH, 2026

## STRENGTHENING OF FOOD REGULATORY ECOSYSTEM

## 4654. SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY :

- Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state: (a) the measures taken by the Government through the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India during the last five years to strengthen the food regulatory ecosystem in the country; (b) whether these measures have been effective in curbing food adulteration and unsafe food practices in the country and the trend of reported cases of food adulteration during the last five years, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether laboratory infrastructure for food testing has been enhanced effectively during the said period and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (d) the number of food samples checked by FSSAI for quality testing during the last three years, year-wise and State-wise including Jharkhand; (e) the total number of risk based inspections carried out by FSSAI in order to enhance the regulatory compliance during the last three years; and (f) the action taken against Food Business Operators (FBO) where compliance is not as per
- the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (f): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay 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. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments.

Surveillance drives, monitoring, regulatory inspection and random sampling of various food products are conducted throughout the year by the officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective States/ UTs and Regional offices of FSSAI to check compliance with the quality and safety parameters in food products as laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Regulations made thereunder. If any violations are observed, strict regulatory actions have been enforced against the offenders in accordance with the provisions of FSS Act. Details of number of Food Samples tested for last 5 Years are as follows:

| Year    | No. of Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples found non- conforming   |
|---------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 2024-25 | 1,70,535                  | 34,388                                 |
| 2023-24 | 1,70,513                  | 33,808                                 |
| 2022-23 | 1,77,511                  | 44,626                                 |
| 2021-22 | 1,44,345                  | 32,934                                 |
| 2020-21 | 1,07,829                  | 28,347                                 |

.

FSSAI has established a network of food testing laboratories across India for the analysis of food to ensure the compliance with the quality and safety standards. As on date, there are 252 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) notified for analysis of food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the analysis of appellate samples.

Further, to strengthen the food testing infrastructure in States & UTs, FSSAI has provided technical & financial assistance to the States/UTs under the scheme - 'Strengthening of Food Testing System in the Country Including provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs'' (SoFTeL). Under the Scheme, 47 State food testing laboratories have been upgraded & 34 microbiology labs have been set up in the area of food safety & quality parameters. To bridge the gap in testing capabilities and extend outreach for on-the-spot food testing in the remote areas, where the laboratory infrastructures are lacking, State/UTs have deployed Mobile Food Testing Laboratories (MFTLs). So far, 305 MFTLs have been procured & deployed by States/UTs against the funds provided by FSSAI for 541 MFTLs.

State/UT wise details of Enforcement Samples analysed, found non-conforming and penal action taken during last 03 years are attached at Annexure.

FSSAI has developed Risk Based Inspection System (RBIS) where frequency of inspection is decided based on risk associated with Food businesses and issued guidelines. Annual inspections are to be conducted for all food categories identified as high risk. In last three years FSSAI conducted a total of 56269 Risk Based Inspections.

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Annexure

|     | State/UT wise                       | details of Enforcement   | details of Enforcement   | details of Enforcement   | details of Enforcement   | Samples analysed, found non-conforming   | Samples analysed, found non-conforming   | Samples analysed, found non-conforming   | Samples analysed, found non-conforming   | action taken during last 03 years   | action taken during last 03 years   | action taken during last 03 years   | action taken during last 03 years   |
|-----|-------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| S.  |                                     | No. of Samples Analysed  | Civil Cases              | Criminal Cases No. of    | Cancelled License        | No. of Samples Analysed                  | Civil Cases Decided with                 | Criminal Cases No. of                    | Cancelled License                        | No. of                              | Civil Cases Decided                 | Criminal Cases No. of Convictions   | Cancelled License                   |
| No. | State/UT                            |                          | Decided with Penalty     | Convictions              |                          |                                          | Penalty                                  | Convictions                              |                                          | Samples Analysed                    | with Penalty                        |                                     |                                     |
| 1   | Andaman And Nicobar Islands         | 810                      | 0                        | 0                        | 1                        | 0                                        | 0                                        | 0                                        | 0                                        | 1200                                | 58                                  | 0                                   | 0                                   |
| 2   | Andhra Pradesh                      | 5984                     | 464                      | 8                        | 15                       | 6439                                     | 646                                      | 8                                        | 40                                       | 3607                                | 339                                 | 12                                  | 64                                  |
| 3   | Arunachal Pradesh                   | 125                      | 7                        | 0                        | 5                        | 501                                      | 2                                        | 0                                        | 25                                       | 258                                 | 0                                   | 0                                   | 20                                  |
| 4   | Assam                               | 1705                     | 0                        | 0                        | 19                       | 1139                                     | 0                                        | 0                                        | 0                                        | 602                                 | 0                                   | 0                                   | 0                                   |
| 5   | Bihar                               | 2863                     | 25                       | 0                        | 7                        | 2806                                     | 79                                       | 0                                        | 10                                       | 2935                                | 39                                  | 0                                   | 10                                  |
| 6   | Chandigarh                          | 374                      | 116                      | 41                       | 5                        | 311                                      | 87                                       | 52                                       | 1                                        | 473                                 | 27                                  | 8                                   | 4                                   |
| 7   | Chhattisgarh                        | 2069                     | 143                      | 6                        | 1                        | 1373                                     | 86                                       | 2                                        | 0                                        | 1468                                | 119                                 | 8                                   | 0                                   |
| 8   | Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman& Diu | 56                       | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 185                                      | 0                                        | 0                                        | 0                                        | 164                                 | 13                                  | 0                                   | 0                                   |
| 9   | Delhi                               | 2624                     | 18                       | 16                       | 1                        | 3412                                     | 36                                       | 12                                       | 1                                        | 3133                                | 86                                  | 10                                  | 0                                   |
| 10  | Goa                                 | 1172                     | 11                       | 0                        | 0                        | 599                                      | 17                                       | 0                                        | 1                                        | 699                                 | 11                                  | 0                                   | 4                                   |
| 11  | Gujarat                             | 12387                    | 859                      | 91                       | 8                        | 15841                                    | 1701                                     | 65                                       | 7                                        | 14562                               | 547                                 | 24                                  | 15                                  |
| 12  | Haryana                             | 2233                     | 599                      | 59                       | 20                       | 3485                                     | 593                                      | 47                                       | 15                                       | 4445                                | 915                                 | 35                                  | 25                                  |
| 13  | Himachal Pradesh                    | 1587                     | 471                      | 0                        | 3                        | 1618                                     | 376                                      | 2                                        | 6                                        | 2720                                | 93                                  | 1                                   | 9                                   |
| 14  | Jammu& Kashmir                      | 6955                     | 1,239                    | 29                       | 17                       | 9057                                     | 1612                                     | 22                                       | 19                                       | 13502                               | 1592                                | 15                                  | 42                                  |
| 15  | Jharkhand                           | 364                      | 52                       | 0                        | 1                        | 384                                      | 59                                       | 0                                        | 2                                        | 943                                 | 44                                  | 8                                   | 1                                   |

| 16   | Karnataka      |   9371 | 283    |   32 |   34 |   5492 |    75 |   16 |   50 |   3416 |   191 |   15 |   56 |
|------|----------------|--------|--------|------|------|--------|-------|------|------|--------|-------|------|------|
| 17   | Kerala         |  10767 | 1,088  |  206 |   40 |  10792 |   854 |  134 |  137 |   8533 |   454 |   33 |   90 |
| 18   | Ladakh         |    417 | 38     |    0 |    0 |    638 |    19 |    0 |    1 |    220 |    23 |    0 |    0 |
| 19   | Lakshadweep    |      0 | 0      |    0 |    0 |      0 |     0 |    0 |    0 |      0 |     0 |    0 |    0 |
| 20   | Madhya Pradesh |  13920 | 2,597  |   22 |    3 |  13998 |  1938 |   46 |   10 |  12507 |  1908 |   71 |   22 |
| 21   | Maharashtra    |   5403 | 1,147  |    0 |    9 |   5087 |   154 |    0 |    4 |  11077 |   198 |    5 |   17 |
| 22   | Manipur        |    126 | 2      |    0 |    1 |    168 |     0 |    0 |    0 |    169 |     0 |    0 |    3 |
| 23   | Meghalaya      |    388 | 0      |    0 |    0 |    123 |     0 |    0 |    0 |    409 |     0 |    0 |    0 |
| 24   | Mizoram        |      0 | 0      |    0 |    0 |      0 |     0 |    0 |    0 |    140 |     0 |    0 |    0 |
| 25   | Nagaland       |    223 | 0      |    0 |    0 |    138 |     3 |    0 |    1 |    109 |     0 |    0 |    1 |
| 26   | Orissa         |   2282 | 27     |    0 |    2 |   2003 |     0 |    0 |   24 |   1368 |    47 |    0 |   40 |
| 27   | Puducherry     |    173 | 0      |    0 |    0 |     31 |     0 |    0 |    0 |      0 |     0 |    0 |    1 |
| 28   | Punjab         |   4131 | 333    |    8 |    1 |   6041 |  1204 |  102 |    0 |   8179 |  1404 |    5 |    1 |
| 29   | Rajasthan      |  13840 | 3,114  |   30 |    2 |  18536 |  2181 |   12 |    0 |  13184 |  2435 |    4 |    1 |
| 30   | Sikkim         |    254 | 0      |    0 |    0 |    231 |     0 |    0 |    0 |    279 |     4 |    0 |    0 |
| 31   | Tamil Nadu     |  18071 | 1,536  |  492 |    7 |  18146 |  2195 |  478 |   36 |  24188 |  3714 |  678 |   47 |
| 32   | Telangana      |   3347 | 125    |    0 |    1 |   6156 |   425 |    0 |    6 |   4809 |   315 |    0 |    9 |
| 33   | Tripura        |    123 | 0      |    0 |    0 |     87 |     0 |    0 |    0 |     31 |     0 |    0 |    0 |
| 34   | Uttar Pradesh  |  30380 | 14,920 |  215 |   16 |  27750 | 14627 |  163 |    9 |  30140 | 13148 |  251 |   50 |
| 35   | Uttarakhand    |   1509 | 256    |    4 |    1 |   1998 |   332 |    0 |    1 |   1839 |   507 |    5 |    1 |
| 36   | West Bengal    |  14502 | 672    |    6 |    0 |   5948 |   285 |    0 |    2 |   6203 |   233 |    0 |    0 |
|      | Total          | 170535 | 30142  | 1265 |  220 | 170513 | 29586 | 1161 |  408 | 177511 | 28464 | 1188 |  533 |