Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) the details of cases filed in regard to adulteration under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 during the last three years and the current year;
(b) the number of samples tested and found adulterated along with the number of instances of adulteration against which no action was taken;
(c) the reasons for not taking any action despite samples confirming adulterations; and
(d) the reaction of the Government thereto?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) to (d): As per the information made available by the State/UT Governments, the details of food samples collected, tested, found not conforming to prescribed standards and action taken during the last three years are at Annexure-I, II and III respectively. For current year, half yearly data has been received only from 2 States is at Annexure IV. To curb the menace of food adulteration regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and sampling of food products is being done by the Officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective States/UTs to check compliance of the standards laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations made thereunder. In cases where the food samples are found to be non-conforming, recourse is taken to penal provisions under the FSS Act, 2006.