The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has intensified enforcement against food business operators (FBOs), and imposed prohibition orders and penalties
for violations across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka. The food regulator's latest move aims to boost efforts to safeguard food quality and protect consumers from substandard and misbranded products In one of the cases highlighted by FSSAI (image shown below) M/s Dharwad Mishra Pedha and Food Processing Industry in Karnataka was charged for manufacturing and supplying substandard Motichoor Laddoo to distributors, allegedly in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. According to the findings shared by the regulator, the sample of Motichoor Laddoo was declared substandard. Another case involved M/s Shree Chemfood Pvt. Ltd., based in Gujarat. The company was found to have violated provisions of the FSS Act in relation to the manufacture and sale of iodised salt and declared sub-standard salt. FSSAI said samples of iodised salt were found to be substandard. FSSAI said penalties were imposed on the manufacturers under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (image shown below). Experts believe the FSSAI notice and action is amid growing consumer concerns about how food products are manufactured, labelled, and sold across platforms. Analysts feel food safety shouldn't be a choice and consumer protection must continue right till the point of purchase. Former FSSAI Director Pradip Chakraborty had earlier told Times Now Digital, "FSSAI has a lot of work to do, particularly as far as e-commerce platforms are concerned. As per Section 53 of the FSS Act, 2006 penalty for misleading advertisement may extend up to ten lakh rupees." Times Now Digital's "E-Comms Hiding Health Info" campaign has been reporting consumer complaints, what health experts and legal experts believe and the measures FSSAI has taken so far. The campaign has highlighted how India's quick commerce and e-commerce boom cannot undermine consumers' right to information.
