Firm fined Rs. 50K for misbranded product

A court here has imposed a consolidated fine of Rs. 50,000 on a manufacturer and the production unit for misbranding ‘Pan Masala’.

The food analyst had reported that the “sample is misbranded because there is a violation of Regulation No. 2.2.2.9 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation, 2011”.

Without date of packing

The analyst also reported that the sample was found to be without declaration of date of packing.

A Food Safety Officer had lifted a sample of the product from a shop at Mohan Singh Place in Connaught Place and sent it to the food analyst for examination in 2012.

The ‘Pan Masla’ had been manufactured and packed by Messrs Trimurti Fragrances Pvt. Ltd. and had supplied it to the shop.

Holding Satish Kumar, nominee of the production unit guilty, the Adjudicating Officer, ADM, New Delhi, had imposed a consolidated penalty of Rs. 2,50,000 on him and the firm.

‘Take a lenient view’

Challenging the imposition of the fine in an appeal in the court of District and Sessions Judge Amar Nath, counsel for the appellants submitted that his clients were not challenging the penalty order on merit, but urged the court to take a lenient view.

Observing that “this is a case of misbranding rather than adulteration of sample or a health hazard”, the judge reduced the fine amount to Rs. 50,000.