Hazardous food: Govt acts against erring food operators

New Delhi, Aug 7 (UNI) As many as 4,694 cases were registered, 288 convictions made and 1,049 cases invited penalties in 2016-17 for failing to meet the prescribed standards in products sold and because the articles so sold turned out to be potentially hazardous for human health, as per information made available by the states / union territory governments, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Faggan Singh Kulaste, has said. 

Informing the Lok Sabha recently, Mr Kulaste informed that Rs 4,49,43,648 were raised as penalties out of these offences across the country excluding states of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. 

''As many as Rs 21,65,98,989 were collected in 2015-16 towards fine as 9,979 cases against erring food business operators were launched, 540 convictions made and 3,669 cases of penalties were registered throughout the country with information not received from Jharkhand, Punjab, Rajasthan and Telangana,'' Mr Kulaste said. 

He said these were the stringent actions taken by the Governments of the states and the UTs to check 

spurious food sold in the markets. 

The Minister further informed that only food products for which standards are specified in various regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 are permitted to be manufactured or sold or imported in India. 

''It is the responsibility of the states/ union territories to ensure that products which do not meet the prescribed standards and are potentially hazardous for human health are not allowed to be manufactured or distributed or sold or imported,'' he noted. 

''Therefore, the Government or Food safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on its own does not 

maintain a record of presence of toxic and hazardous substances in the food products and health hazards caused due to them,'' he remarked. 

''The current machinery is being quite effective in addressing the problem and therefore the action on part of the Government on errant food business operators in the country," he added.