In a First in Karnataka, 2 Shopkeepers Convicted Under Food Safety Act

BENGALURU:Four years after the Food Safety and Standards Act come into effect, officials of the State Public Health Institute have succeeded in getting conviction for the accused in a case in Karnataka.

According to official sources, two owners of a provision store in Yellapur of Uttara Kannada district, were sentenced to three months’ simple imprisonment and penalised for Rs 10,000.

The convicted are Umesh and Sripad, proprietors of Sri Lakshmi Provision Stores. They were recently punished under Section 59(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, for selling artificially coloured tur dal.

Confirming that this was the first conviction after the FSSA Act came into force in August 2011, officials of Public Health Institute (PHI) appreciated the efforts of Arun V Kashibhat, In-charge Designated Officer, Uttara Kannada District.

“Keep up your public interest and safety towards people in the future also,” the Institute told Kashibhat.

The colour may cause harm to intestine or brain, a medical officer of the institute said.

According to PHI, the number of samples analysed found unsafe is 248, sub-standard is 154 and mis-branded is 272, out of 5,863 samples collected in 2013, 2014 and the first six months of 2015.

The samples collected including rice, tea powder, butter, water, tomato sauce and others.

In most parts of the state, the packaged drinking water was found unsafe as the drinking water plants are not following the ISI standards.

Non-ISI drinking water plants in dock

2013: 36 cases in Shivamogga, Kalaburagi, Bijapur and Bagalkot.

2014: 11 cases in Ballary, Haveri and Ramanagaram.

2015: 16 cases in BBMP North, Tumakuru and Yadgir.

In all three years, a total penalty of Rs 2,27,500 was recovered, besides cases being filed against non-ISI plants.

■ The total number of non-ISI drinking water plants seized across the state are 42 in 2013 and 34 in 2014.

■ Number of non-ISI plants dismantled are 74, 46 and 58 in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. Electricity supply was disconnected to 82, 76 and 88 non-ISI drinking water plants.