As many as 12,057 cases were filed against defaulters by anti-food adulteration authorities in 2024-25 after 12,780 samples of milk and milk products were found non-conforming to the standards, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav, in a written reply, said that in 2024-25, a total of 33,405 samples were analysed during action against defaulting food business operators (FBOs).
He said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
The State Food Safety Authorities are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level, he said. Jadhav said the implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, is a shared responsibility between the Central and State governments.
The Minister of State said FSSAI, through its four Regional Offices and State/UT food safety authorities, conducts regular localised/targeted special enforcement and surveillance drives, inspections and sampling activities for various food products, including milk and milk products, throughout the year.
“If any deviations from the standards or violations of the Food Safety and Standards Regulation (FSSR) are observed, the defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs) are subjected to regulatory actions, including punitive measures, as stipulated under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006,” he said.
The Minister of State said that for strengthening food safety implementation mechanisms, the FSSAI organises Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings at regular intervals to facilitate focused deliberations on emerging issues and policy reforms.
He said that through meetings of the Central Advisory Committee, regular engagements are held with State Food Safety Commissioners to review the status of enforcement machinery and ensure the proper implementation of food safety measures.