**Executive Summary**
This document addresses an unstarred question (No. 1142) submitted to the Lok Sabha regarding the incidence of food adulteration, particularly the deceptive use of palm oil. The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides the answers, outlining the role of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in setting food standards, conducting surveillance, and raising consumer awareness. The question was intended to be answered on December 5th, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **FSSAI Mandate and Commitment:**
* FSSAI is mandated to establish science-based standards for food articles and regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import.
* FSSAI is committed to ensuring the availability of safe food products, including refined oils, to consumers nationwide.
* Palm oil is a standardized product under FSSAI's regulations.
* **Surveillance and Enforcement:**
* Regular surveillance drives, monitoring, regulatory inspections, and random sampling of food products are conducted.
* Checks are performed for artificial fruit ripening agents and compliance with quality and safety parameters.
* Strict regulatory actions are enforced against offenders violating the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
* **Enforcement Actions Data:**
* The document provides data on the number of samples analysed, non-conforming samples, and cases launched for the financial years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
* **Labelling Regulations:**
* Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 contain labelling provisions regarding false, misleading, or deceptive labelling of food products, including palm oil.
* Mandatory requirements include providing the 'Class title' for specific edible oils and specific labelling for mixtures of edible oils.
* The sale of multi-source edible vegetable oil containing Mustard Oil is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulations, 2011.
* **Consumer Awareness Initiatives:**
* FSSAI utilizes various initiatives to raise awareness about food safety:
* **Website and Social Media:** Providing information on standards, regulations, and advisories related to food safety.
* **Adulteration Videos:** Visually demonstrating methods for identifying adulteration.
* **DART Book:** Offering simple tests for detecting food adulterants at home.
* **Food Safety Magic Box:** An educational toolkit for school students.
* **Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs):** Mobile food testing laboratories deployed in remote areas.
* **Food Safety Guidebook for Teachers/Students:** Providing information on conducting tests on food adulteration.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Consumers**
* **Impact:** Enhanced safety and awareness regarding food adulteration and deceptive labelling practices, especially concerning palm oil.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the resources and information provided by FSSAI to identify adulterants, make informed choices, and report violations.
**Stakeholder: Food Industry**
* **Impact:** Need to comply with stricter labelling norms and regulations to avoid penalties and ensure consumer safety.
* **Action Required:** Implement necessary changes in labelling and production processes to adhere to the guidelines set by FSSAI.
**Stakeholder: Food Safety Departments of States/UTs and Regional Offices of FSSAI**
* **Impact:** Responsible for conducting surveillance, monitoring, regulatory inspection and random sampling of various food products.
* **Action Required:** Check compliance with the quality and safety parameters and take strict regulatory actions against offenders.
**Stakeholder: School Students, Teachers and Parents**
* **Impact:** To learn about food safety and how to detect food adulteration through an interactive and engaging way.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the educational toolkit designed for school students, teachers and parents which contains easy-to-use tests for detecting food adulteration through an interactive and engaging way for students to learn about food safety.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): The primary regulator mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: The principal legislation governing food safety and standards in India, under which actions are taken against offenders in case of violations.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The ministry to which questions related to food adulteration are addressed, and which oversees FSSAI's operations.
Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020: Regulations concerning labeling provisions to prevent false, misleading, or deceptive labeling of food products.
Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011: Regulations that standardize food products, including palm oil.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO.1142
TO BE ANSWEREDON5TH DECEMBER, 2025
INCIDENCE OFFOOD ADULTERATION
1142. SHRIYADUVEERWADIYAR:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the growing instances of food adulteration and
deceptive use of palm oil in the manufacturing of edible products such as ghee, bakery items
and confectionery, often without clear labelling or disclosure to consumers and if so, the details
thereof;
(b) whether the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has conducted any
recent nationwide survey or inspection drive to identify the extent of such adulteration and
misleading practices in the edible oil and processed food sectors;
(c) if so, the details thereof including the number ofviolations detected, enforcement actions
taken and penalties imposed during the last three years; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to introduce stricter labelling norms, traceability
mechanisms and consumer awareness campaigns to prevent deceptive blendingand
misbranding of palm oil-based food products and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (c): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down
science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage,
distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human
consumption. FSSAIis fullycommitted toensure the availability of safe food products including
refinedoilstothe consumers across the country.
Palm oil is a standardized product under Sub-regulation 2.2.1(19) of Food Safety and
Standards(FoodProductsStandards andFoodAdditives) Regulation,2011 notifiedbyFSSAI.Regular surveillance drives, monitoring, regulatory inspection and random sampling of
various food products including checks for use of artificial fruit ripening agents are conducted
throughout the yearbythe officials of FoodSafetyDepartments of the respective States/UTs and
Regional offices of FSSAI to check compliance with the quality and safety parameters including
testing for unapproved artificial fruit ripening agents in food products as laid down under Food
SafetyandStandards Act, 2006 andRegulationsmade thereunder.
In the event of any violations, strict regulatory actions are enforced against the offenders
in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Details of enforcement actions & penalties raised
are asfollows :-
Noofsamples NoofSamplesfoundnon
FinancialYear Noofcaseslaunched
analysed -conforming
2022-23 18597 4628 3382
2023-24 13819 1952 1653
2024-25 13772 1840 1544
(d): Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 contains labelling
provisions relating to false, misleading or deceptive labelling or labelling is likely to create an
erroneous impression, covering all the food products including Palm oil. It is mandatory to
provide the ‘Class title’ as name of the specific edible oil such asmustard oil,groundnut oil,etc.,
where ‘Edible vegetableoil’ isaddedasingredients inthe food products. Further, everypackage
containing an admixture of edible oils shall carry a label declaration in bold capital letter
immediatelybelowitsbrandname ortrade nameonthe frontof packandalso providethe format,
font size of the labeldeclaration.
In addition, the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales)
Regulations, 2011 prohibits the sale of any Multi source edible vegetable oil containing
Mustard Oil.
FSSAI hasimplemented following initiatives toraise awareness about food safety among
consumers, the food industry, andcitizens:-
i. WebsiteandSocial Media: FSSAI’swebsite andSocial Media pagesprovide accessible
information on Standards/Regulations/Advisories related to Food Safety and ondetecting food adulterants at home, offering practical tips for consumers. Social media
campaign “#NoToAdulteration” is carried out to educate people about adulteration and
promote food safety consciousness andhealthy eatinghabitsacross citizen.
ii. Adulteration Videos: FSSAI has produced a series of videos that visually demonstrate
methods for identifying adulteration in commonly used foods. These are availableon the
FSSAI YouTube channeland promoted on various other media platformslike Instagram,
Twitter, Facebook time to time and are showcased at various public events and
campaigns.
iii. Resources like the DARTBook offer simple tests for detectingfood adulterants at home.
iv. Food Safety Magic Box: This educational toolkit is designed for school students,
teachers and parents, containing easy-to-use tests for detecting food adulteration through
aninteractiveandengagingway forstudents tolearnaboutfoodsafety.
v. FoodSafety on Wheels(FSWs) or mobile food testing laboratoriesare deployed toreach
remote areasandforconductingfoodtesting andraisingawareness.
vi. Food Safety Guidebook for Teachers/Students: The lesson plan booklet provides with
the detailed information of how to conduct the different test on food adulteration. These
testsare mappedacrossthecurriculumofthe particulargrade.
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