13 February 2026·PIB

Steps taken against Adulteration

In this note

1. At a Glance

Food adulteration = intentional/unintentional debasement of food quality by adding inferior/harmful substances or removing valuable constituents; regulated in India primarily by FSSAI under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 [2][3].
Enforcement is a shared Centre-State responsibility: FSSAI sets science-based standards; State Food Safety Authorities enforce at field level [1].
UPSC relevance: intersects GS-II (governance, statutory bodies, health) and GS-III (food security, consumer safety, food processing).

PIB release dated 13 Feb 2026 by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: in FY 2024-25, 33,405 milk & milk-product samples analysed; 12,780 non-conforming; 12,057 cases launched against defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs) [1].
>7,700 food adulteration complaints received in FY 2024-25; ~6,000 resolved [1].

Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 — earlier regime; repealed and subsumed [3].
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidated 8 different laws governing food [3].
FSSAI operationalised under MoHFW; statutory body created by the 2006 Act [2][3].
Subsequent FSS Rules & Regulations (2011 onwards) framed for licensing, packaging, contaminants, labelling [2].

Parent Act: Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 [3].
Regulator: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) [2].
Administrative Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare [1].
Statutory mandate basis for surveillance: Section 29(3) of FSS Act, 2006 — food authority to maintain control, surveillance, monitoring across all stages [3].
Field officers: Food Safety Officers (FSOs) guided by FSSAI "Manual for Food Safety Officers" [3].
FY 2024-25 milk-sector enforcement: 33,405 samples / 12,780 non-conforming / 12,057 prosecutions [1].

Legal / Constitutional

Falls under Concurrent List (food adulteration — Entry 18, List III) — explains Centre-State shared enforcement [1].
FSS Act, 2006 provides for civil penalties (Adjudicating Officer) and criminal prosecution (Special Courts) for misbranded/substandard/unsafe food [3].

Administrative

Two-tier model: FSSAI (standard-setting, coordination, regional offices) + State Food Safety Commissioners (licensing, inspection, sampling, prosecution) [1].
Risk-Based Inspection System (RBIS): inspection frequency calibrated to risk level of food product [1].
National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP): pan-India sampling strategy by FSSAI [1].

Social / Health

Adulteration in milk, edible oils, spices disproportionately hits low-income consumers; directly impacts Right to Health (Art. 21 jurisprudence).
Consumer-facing tools: complaint redressal channels recorded 7,700+ complaints in FY 2024-25 [1].

Scientific / Technological

FSSAI deploys science-based standards, accredited NABL labs, rapid testing kits for milk/spices; surveys for contaminants pan-India [2].

Governance / Federalism

Enforcement gap stems from State-level capacity: shortage of FSOs, labs, designated officers — recurrent CAG/Standing Committee critique.

13 Feb 2026 PIB release flagging FY 2024-25 milk enforcement data [1].
FY 2024-25: 12,057 cases launched against defaulting FBOs in milk segment alone [1].
~6,000 of 7,700+ adulteration complaints resolved in FY 2024-25 [1].
Continued rollout of Risk-Based Inspection System and National Annual Surveillance Plan [1].

FSSAI is statutory body under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — not under Consumer Protection Act [3].
FSSAI is under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare — not Ministry of Food Processing Industries / Consumer Affairs [1].
Section 29(3) of FSS Act, 2006 mandates the surveillance & monitoring system [3].
FSS Act, 2006 repealed the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 [3].
Food enforcement is on the Concurrent List — shared Centre-State subject [1].
National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP) is the pan-India sampling plan run by FSSAI [1].
Risk-Based Inspection System decides inspection frequency by product risk profile [1].
FY 2024-25 milk samples analysed = 33,405; non-conforming = 12,780 [1].
FY 2024-25 cases launched vs FBOs in milk segment = 12,057 [1].
Adulteration complaints in FY 2024-25 = >7,700; resolved ≈ 6,000 [1].
Field enforcement officer = Food Safety Officer (FSO) [3].

GS-II: Statutory bodies; Government policies & interventions in health; Centre-State coordination.
GS-III: Food processing & related industries; consumer safety; food security.
Possible question stems:
"Despite a robust statutory architecture under the FSS Act, 2006, food adulteration persists in India. Examine the structural bottlenecks and suggest reforms." (GS-II)
"Discuss the role of FSSAI's Risk-Based Inspection System and National Annual Surveillance Plan in ensuring food safety." (GS-III)
"Federalism in food safety enforcement is both a strength and a weakness. Critically evaluate." (GS-II)

FSSAI — composition, powers, regulations (statutory body deep-dive).
Eat Right India movement — FSSAI flagship behavioural-change campaign.
Codex Alimentarius (FAO-WHO) — international food standards body India engages with.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019 & CCPA — parallel consumer-safety regulator.
Food Fortification (+F logo) — preventive nutrition strategy linked to safe food.
Pesticide residues / MRL regulation — overlaps with FSSAI standards & agri ministry.
National Food Laboratories (Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mysuru) — testing infrastructure.
Article 47 DPSP — State duty to improve public health, prohibit injurious food/drink.

FSSAI's parent ministry is MoHFW, not MoFPI or Consumer Affairs.
Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 is repealed — current law is FSS Act, 2006.
Enforcement is Concurrent, not exclusively Central — States actually launch prosecutions.
NASP ≠ RBIS: NASP is the sampling plan; RBIS is the inspection-frequency framework — distinct tools [1].
FSSAI is a statutory body (created by 2006 Act), not constitutional or executive.