The
Supreme Court is going tough on the issue of food adulteration, especially in case of Milk and
Milk Products, where the problem does not seem to be ended and the complaints
are still pouring in from many parts of India. The apex court has
strongly reacted while terming it a very serious situation and has asked the
Centre to make Milk Adulteration a severe offense and has further recommended
for a penalty of life imprisonment.
The
sitting bench of the Honorable SC, on hearing the adulteration issue has
suggested that the present punishment of six months imprisonment should be made
into more stringent to the life imprisonment for the offenders. The bench
further suggested that IPC could not be invoked in the states because of FSS
Act has provisions for the same, so the amendment is seen as a measure to
empower states to take strict action.
The
cases of adulteration in Milk & its Products
have enormously gone up pan India and the valid evidence of this was the report
from The Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India’s findings on milk adulteration cases across all
states in 2011. Last month, the court asked all states to file Affidavit on the
steps taken by them to curb this issue. The court also sought explanation from
some states where this menace has large impact and the situation is out of
control.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 ensures
that only safe food should be served to the people and Food Business Operators
are committed to follow the requirements else they have to face implications on
non-adherence. The regulatory body on Food ‘FSSAI’ has made guidelines for the
provisions on the following graded penalties:
*
For Sub standard foods – Penalty upto Rs. 5 lacs
*
For Misbranded foods – Upto Rs. 3 lacs
*
For Food containing extraneous matters – Upto Rs. 1 lac
*
For Manufacturing of food under unhygienic and unsanitary conditions
– Upto Rs. 1 lac
*
For Unsafe food – Imprisonment upto 6 months Plus fine upto Rs. 1 lac, raising
to imprisonment upto life imprisonment plus penalty Rs. 10 lacs
*
Compensation in case of injury or death of consumer – Not less than Rs. 5 lacs
in case of dealth and upto Rs. 3 lacs in case of grievous injury and upto Rs. 1
lac in other cases of injury.
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