The Madras High Court has directed the Health Secretary, Director of Food Safety and the Commissioner of Milk Development to take steps for effective implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) and file a report pertaining to the sale of adulterated milk by private milk suppliers.
Chennai:
The first Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before whom another public interest litigation regarding milk adulteration came up for hearing on Monday, also ordered notice to the 12 private milk producers, including Thirumala Milk Products Private Limited, Heritage Foods Private Limited and Hatsun Agro Products Ltd.
The officials, including the private milk producers, have been asked to file their counters by July 24. The petitioner R Karthikeyan of Shanmugapuram in Chennai submitted that as per the provisions of FSSA, 2006, firms selling milk in packets should get themselves registered with the authorities for collecting milk. Moreover, they should also get licence from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in respect of the quality of the milk sold.
Noting that the state established milk cooperative society Aavin has a market share of just 20 per cent and the private players have cornered the rest, he said under such circumstances, on May 24, 2017, the Dairy Minister revealed that the milk sold by the private companies contained formaldehyde, a cancer-causing substance.
Pointing out to the Minister’s firm stand and his assurance that samples are being tested in a lab at Mysuru, the petitioner said if adulterated and unsafe milk is permitted to be sold even after the Minister’s categorical assertion, it is against the health and safety of the people. He sought the court to direct the authorities to prevent the production and marketing of unsafe milk and confiscate such product that is being sold.
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