Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the food regulator of India has proposed 100 amendments in Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act which was passed in 2006. Notably, the regulators were notified by the regulator in 2011.
While seeking public views on the decision by 2nd July, authorities have taken the various firm decision against those who are involved in food adulteration practices and causing serious harm to the consumers and stated that “It is also in the light of the directions of the Supreme Court.”
The key amendment that was highlighted among other was minimum 7 years imprisonment that can be extended up to life term and Rs 10 Lakh fine to the person who will found guilty in the case of food adulteration. While proposing the punishment FSSAI said: “Any person...adds an adulterant to food so as to render it injurious for human consumption with an inherent potential to cause his death or is likely to cause grievous hurt, irrespective of the fact whether it causes actual injury or not, shall be punishable for a term which shall not be less than 7 years but which may extend to imprisonment for life and also fine which shall not be less than Rs 10 lakh.”
Other decisions include setting up food authorities at the state level so that there will be effective and efficient follow up of the rules and regulations. Various amendments suggested an increase in the punishment of obstructing, impersonating, intimidating and threatening and assaulting a food safety officer. For this, minimum 6 months jail term up to 2 years and Rs5 lakh penalty was suggested which currently follows as imprisonment up to three months and fine is up to Rs1 lakh. An amendment that is taken from Singapore’s Sale of Food Act is that if any person would be convicted under all this law than he will have to bear all of the expenses that were cost by the prosecution in order to analyze any food or food contact article. In addition, amendments also suggested bringing exported food under FSS Act that currently only includes the sale of domestic and imported food items.
