SC Urges Stronger Measures Against Food Adulteration; States Must Enhance Transparency and Accountability Efforts.

The SC addressed the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, expressing dissatisfaction with certain States' efforts against food adulteration, particularly synthetic milk. It emphasized the need for stringent measures and amendments, as seen in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Odisha, enhancing penalties for food adulteration. The Court directed various States to submit detailed affidavits on adulteration cases and actions taken, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability. It impleaded Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, instructed the Voluntary Consumer Association to assist, and required the Union of India and the Food Safety Authority to report on their efforts, scheduling a follow-up hearing for January 30, 2014.

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Issues: Implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; Severity of punishment for food adulteration; Need for amendments in other States; Directions for detailed affidavits and actions by concerned parties.

The judgment by the Supreme Court addressed various issues related to the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Court expressed dissatisfaction with the steps taken by certain States to prevent adulterated milk and milk products, highlighting the alarming health hazards posed by the consumption of synthetic milk. The Court noted that some States had not responded adequately and emphasized the need for stringent measures to tackle food adulteration.

Regarding the severity of punishment for food adulteration, the Court observed that in many cases, the maximum sentence was only six months of imprisonment. However, the State of Uttar Pradesh had amended Section 272 of the Indian Penal Code to enhance the punishment to imprisonment for life and also imposed fines for adulteration of food and products. Similar amendments had been made in the States of West Bengal and Odisha, underscoring the importance of treating food adulteration as a serious offense.

The Court stressed the importance of making similar amendments in other States to address the seriousness of the offense of food adulteration uniformly. Additionally, the Court issued directions for detailed affidavits and actions by various parties involved. It impleaded the States of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab as party respondents, instructed the Voluntary Consumer Association to assist the Court, and required several States to provide detailed information on cases of synthetic material adulteration in milk products, including prosecutions and convictions.

Furthermore, the Court directed the concerned officers to furnish details of inspections, cases booked, and actions taken during festival seasons, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in combating food adulteration. The Union of India and the Food Safety Authority were also directed to submit detailed affidavits on cases of synthetic material adulteration in milk products and the actions taken by various States in response. The Court scheduled a follow-up hearing for January 30, 2014, to monitor the progress of the directives issued.

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