TOPIC: Prevention of Food Adulteration in India

Introduction
In India Prevention of Food Adulteration Programme has been developed to ensure
safe food for the consumers. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India
ensures that consumers get safe food. The legislation called "Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act, 1954" was drafted for this purpose.

The aim of this legislation is to ensure that consumers get pure and wholesome and
also prevent fraud or deception. The initial legislation had loopholes and hence the
Act has been amended three times in 1964, 1976 and in 1986. The punishments have
been made more stringent and Consumers and Voluntary Organizations have been
empowered to play a more effective role in its implementation. The PFA Act is in the
list of the constitution but it is enforced by the State/U. T Governments. The major
role of Central Government is as an advisory in its implementation.

The first law to regulate the quality of food was made in the country 1899. Up till
1954 the states made their own food laws and there were substantial differences in the
rules and specifications of the food. This hindered inter-provincial trade. The Central
Government is empowered by the Constitution of India for making legislations on
Food and Drugs Adulteration. A legislation called Prevention of Food adulteration Act
(PFA) was endorsed in the year 1954 for making uniformity in food laws all over
India. It came into effect from 15 June, 1955.

Food Quality Control Services: In India there is a three-tier system is function for
ensuring food quality and food safety. They are the:
 Government of India
 State/UT Governments
 Local Bodies.
Prevention of Food Adulteration Programme: The under PFA Rules have been
amended several times and quality standards for about 250 food articles which are
commonly consumed in India have been fixed. Implementation of food standards in
corporation/municipal area rests with the local Bodies. These bodies employ their own
food inspectors for examination and maintenance of standards. They are responsible
for licensing of food industries/establishments as well.

In the District/Regional or State level there are 72 food laboratories and at the Central
level there are four Central Food Laboratories. One or more laboratories are there in
every state. However, there are several constraints in this programme such as shortage
of Food inspectors at the States/Local Bodies, deficiencies in the testing laboratories
(lack of trained manpower, insufficient testing facilities, non-availability of
sophisticated equipment).

The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) was passed by Parliament in
August 2006. After this legislation came into effect the Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act, 1954 stands revoked. However, the standards, safety requirements
and other provisions of the Act and the rules and regulations made under Prevention
of Food Adulteration Act are still followed by this act until new standards are
specified under this Act or rules and regulations made.

Provided that anything done or any action taken under the enactment and Orders
under repeal shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding
provisions of this Act and shall continue in force accordingly unless and until
superseded by anything done or by any action taken under this Act. Owing to trade in
food commodities globally, food safety is no longer considered as a domestic issue.
The WTO has specified that development of modern food control and safety programs
by national Governments are needed. Food quality refers not only to end product
parameters but also to process control. The Central Government has started a Project
for Food Safety and Quality Control of Drugs with aid from World Bank.

The Government of India is fully aware to the possibilities of food being adulterated. It has
therefore, empowered several agencies and promulgated a number of acts and orders to contract
the menace. Agencies and institutions have also been created to lay down standards for the
quality of foods. The manner in which the food is processed and packaged is also covered by
a number of regulations. Following measures have been taken by the government to control
the quality of food.

Prevention of food adulteration act

One of the early acts to be promulgated in this connection was the Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act of 1954, which has been in force since June 1,1955. The objective of this act
was to ensure that food articles sold to the customers are pure and wholesome. It also intended
to prevent fraud or deception and encourages fair trade practices. The act was amended in 1964
and again in 1976 in the light of experience gained, to plug loopholes of escape in the Act and
to insure stringent punishment for those indulging in this nefarious practice.

The Act prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of not only adulterated foods but also
foods contaminated with toxicants and misbranded foods. A Central Food Laboratory located
at Calcutta and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore has also been
recognized for testing of adulterated foods. "A central committee for food standards" has been
constituted under the Act and has been charged with the function of advising the Central
Government on matters relating to the Food standards.

According to the Act, an article of food shall be deemed to be adulterated.

1. If the article sold by a vendor is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by
the purchaser and as it is represented to be.
2. If it contains any other substance or processed as to affect injuriously the nature.
3. If any inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted wholly or in part for the
article.
4. If the article had been prepared, packed or kept under unsanitary conditions whereby
it has become contaminated or injurious to health;
5. If the article consists of any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased
animal or vegetable substance or is insect-infested or otherwise unit for human
consumption.
6. If the article is obtained from a diseased animal;
 7. If the article contains any poisonous or other ingredient which renders its contents
injurious to health;
8. If the container of the article is composed of any poisonous or deleterious substance
which renders it contents injurious to health;
9. If any colouring matter other than as prescribed and in amounts not within the
prescribed limits of variability is present in the article;
10. If the article contains any prohibited preservative or permitted preservative in excess
of the prescribed limits;
11. If the quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standard or its
constituents are present in quantities, which are in excess of the prescribed limits of
variability.

Administrative hierarchy

The Food Health Authority is appointed at state level who is the Director of Public Health and
Preventive Medicine. He is responsible for the good quality and standards of foods available
to the consumers.

Under FHA are the Local Health Authority (LHA). There is a Local Health Authority appointed
in each city in every state.

The food Inspector is appointed by the Central or State Government by notification in official
gazette. The Food Inspector undergoes a three months training in food inspection and sampling.
Powers of food inspectors
1. To take sample of any food article from

 Any person selling such article.

 Any person who is in the course of delivering or preparing to deliver such article to a
purchaser or consignee.

 A consignee after delivering of any such article to him.

2. To send such sample for analysis to the Public Analyst (PA) of local area.
Fruit Products Order
The Government of India promulgated a Fruit Products order in 1946. In 1955, the order was
revised. The Fruit Products Order (FPO) lays down statutory minimum standards in respect of
the quality of various fruits and vegetable products and processing facilities. The FPO and
PFA, are enforced by the Department of Health.
Meat products order
It provides means to:

a. Detect and destroy meat of diseased animals.

b. Ensure that the preparation and handling of meat and meat products be conducted in a
clean and sanitary manner.
c. Prevent the use of harmful substances in meat roods.
 d. See that every cut of meat is inspected before sale to ensure its wholesomeness.

The order also lays down rules and conditions for procedure to be adopted for the selection of
disease-free animals, slaughterhouse practices.
Cold storage order
The cold storage order, 1980, promulgated under the Essential commodities Act, 1955, has the
objective of ensuring hygienic and proper refrigeration conditions in a cold store, regulating
the growth of cold storage industry and rendering technical guidance for a the scientific
preservation of food stuffs.

Standards
I.S.I. Standards

Various committees, including representatives from the government, consumers and industry,
formulate the Indian Standards Institution (ISI). Standards are laid for vegetable and fruit
products, spices and condiments, animal products and processed foods.

The products are checked for quality by the ISI in their own network of testing laboratories at
Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Chandigarh and Patna or in a number of public and private
laboratories recognized by them.

The AGMARK Standard

The AGMARK standard was set up by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection of the
Government of India by introducing an Agricultural produce Act in 1937. The word
‘AGMARK’ seal ensures quality and purity. A sample AGMARK seal is as below

AGMARK BESAN

SL.NO. B-162002

GRADE-STANDARD

PLACE OF PACKAGING…….

DATE OF PACKAGING……

NET WEIGHT……..

The quality of a product is determined with reference to the size, variety, weight, colour,
moisture, fat content and other factors are considered. The grades incorporated are grades 1,2,3
and 4 or special, good, fair and ordinary.
Export inspection council

The council has been constituted to check the quality of a number of food materials meant for
export. The council has powers to reject any food, which does not measure up to the standards
prescribed for the food. Canned food such as mango juice, pineapple juice, frozen food such
as shrimp, pomfrets are subject to scrutiny by this body before export.

References
 www.manupatra.com
 www.casemine.com
 www.indiankanoon.org
 www.legalcrystal.com