Steps taken against Adulteration

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 [S2][S3].
• Enforcement is a shared Centre-State responsibility: FSSAI sets science-based standards; State Food Safety Authorities enforce at field level [S1].
• UPSC relevance: intersects GS-II (governance, statutory bodies, health) and GS-III (food security, consumer safety, food processing).

2. Why in the News

• 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) [S1].
• >7,700 food adulteration complaints received in FY 2024-25; ~6,000 resolved [S1].

3. Background & Evolution

• Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 — earlier regime; repealed and subsumed [S3].
• Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidated 8 different laws governing food [S3].
• FSSAI operationalised under MoHFW; statutory body created by the 2006 Act [S2][S3].
• Subsequent FSS Rules & Regulations (2011 onwards) framed for licensing, packaging, contaminants, labelling [S2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Parent Act: Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 [S3].
• Regulator: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) [S2].
• Administrative Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare [S1].
• Statutory mandate basis for surveillance: Section 29(3) of FSS Act, 2006 — food authority to maintain control, surveillance, monitoring across all stages [S3].
• Field officers: Food Safety Officers (FSOs) guided by FSSAI "Manual for Food Safety Officers" [S3].
• FY 2024-25 milk-sector enforcement: 33,405 samples / 12,780 non-conforming / 12,057 prosecutions [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Legal / Constitutional - Falls under Concurrent List (food adulteration — Entry 18, List III) — explains Centre-State shared enforcement [S1]. - FSS Act, 2006 provides for civil penalties (Adjudicating Officer) and criminal prosecution (Special Courts) for misbranded/substandard/unsafe food [S3].

Administrative - Two-tier model: FSSAI (standard-setting, coordination, regional offices) + State Food Safety Commissioners (licensing, inspection, sampling, prosecution) [S1]. - Risk-Based Inspection System (RBIS): inspection frequency calibrated to risk level of food product [S1]. - National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP): pan-India sampling strategy by FSSAI [S1].

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 [S1].

Scientific / Technological - FSSAI deploys science-based standards, accredited NABL labs, rapid testing kits for milk/spices; surveys for contaminants pan-India [S2].

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

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 13 Feb 2026 PIB release flagging FY 2024-25 milk enforcement data [S1].
• FY 2024-25: 12,057 cases launched against defaulting FBOs in milk segment alone [S1].
• ~6,000 of 7,700+ adulteration complaints resolved in FY 2024-25 [S1].
• Continued rollout of Risk-Based Inspection System and National Annual Surveillance Plan [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• FSSAI is statutory body under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — not under Consumer Protection Act [S3].
• FSSAI is under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare — not Ministry of Food Processing Industries / Consumer Affairs [S1].
• Section 29(3) of FSS Act, 2006 mandates the surveillance & monitoring system [S3].
• FSS Act, 2006 repealed the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 [S3].
• Food enforcement is on the Concurrent List — shared Centre-State subject [S1].
• National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP) is the pan-India sampling plan run by FSSAI [S1].
• Risk-Based Inspection System decides inspection frequency by product risk profile [S1].
• FY 2024-25 milk samples analysed = 33,405; non-conforming = 12,780 [S1].
• FY 2024-25 cases launched vs FBOs in milk segment = 12,057 [S1].
• Adulteration complaints in FY 2024-25 = >7,700; resolved ≈ 6,000 [S1].
• Field enforcement officer = Food Safety Officer (FSO) [S3].

8. Mains Relevance

• 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)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• 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.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• 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 [S1].
• FSSAI is a statutory body (created by 2006 Act), not constitutional or executive.

11. Sources

• [S1] FSSAI Action Against Food Adulteration — FY 2024-25 PIB summary — https://www.foodtechnetwork.in/fssai-action-against-food-adulteration-33405-milk-samples-tested-and-over-12000-cases-filed-in-fy-2024-25/ (tier: 4, reproducing PIB PRID 2227419 dated 13 Feb 2026)
• [S2] About FSSAI — https://fssai.gov.in/cms/about-fssai.php (tier: 1)
• [S3] Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — https://fssai.gov.in/cms/food-safety-and-standards-act-2006.php (tier: 1)