FSSA panel submits report, recommends harsh punishment for adulteration

The Central government has taken several steps so that quality of food products could be ensured. A committee has been constituted by the Government of India to undertake a comprehensive review of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The committee has submitted its report to the department of health and family welfare and, amongst, others, has also made recommendations to provide for harsher punishment to any person who, whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf, adds an adulterant to food to render it injurious for human consumption with an inherent potential to cause his death or is likely to cause such harm on his body as would amount to grievous hurt, irrespective of the fact whether it causes actual injury or not. This information was given by Union health minister J P Nadda in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Laboratories available in the country to check quality of food products 

Sl. No.	Laboratory	Number
01	Referral laboratories	12
02	State/Pubic food laboratories	72
03	NABL accredited private laboratories	82
	Total	166

Company-wise information is not centrally maintained; however, as per information made available by the states/UTs, the number of cases launched (criminal/civil) and number of conviction/penalties: 

Year	Number of Cases  Launched  Criminal /Civil	Number of Conviction	Penalties/ Amount raised
2012-13	5840	3175	Rs. 5,24,95,016
2013-14	10235	913	2932/ Rs. 7,29,89,474
2014-15	9230	1355	2682/ Rs.10,64,03,414

The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, rests with State/UT governments. Random samples of food items are drawn by the state food safety officers and sent to the laboratories recognised by FSSAI for analysis. In cases where samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder, action is taken as per the provisions of the FSS Act.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also regularly takes up issues relating to enforcement of the provisions of the FSS Act and Regulations made thereunder with the state/UT authorities, through various communications sent to them and interactions during the meetings of the Central Advisory Committee.