**Executive Summary**
This report from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, posted on February 10, 2026, outlines steps taken by the FSSAI to prevent food adulteration. It details the notification of accredited laboratories, deployment of Mobile Food Testing Laboratories (FSWs), and provides data on enforcement actions for FY 2023-24, FY 2024-25, and FY 2025-26. The FSSAI is responsible for ensuring the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Laboratory Accreditation:**
* FSSAI has notified 246 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories for primary analysis of food samples.
* 24 Referral Food Laboratories are notified for the analysis of appellate samples.
* **Mobile Food Testing Laboratories (FSWs):**
* FSWs, also known as Food Safety on Wheels, address deficiencies in food testing infrastructure in remote areas.
* FSWs aim to improve consumer access to food testing services.
* Currently, 305 FSWs are deployed across 35 States/UTs.
* FSWs are equipped to perform basic tests for common adulterants in food products.
* These mobile labs serve as mobile testing units and play a role in spreading food safety awareness and providing training.
* **Enforcement Actions:**
* Details of enforcement actions on various food safety issues (including food adulteration) in the FY 2023-24, FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 (so far) is provided in Annexure-I and Annexure-II, respectively.
* In FY 2025-26 (till date), 1,55,306 samples were analyzed, with 27,567 found to be non-conforming. This data is provisional.
* **FSSAI Responsibilities:**
* FSSAI is mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import.
* FSSAI ensures overall coordination.
* State Food Safety Authorities are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level.
* **Compliance Measures:**
* FSSAI conducts surveillance, inspection, monitoring, and random sampling through its regional offices and State/UT food safety departments.
* FSSAI conducts regular localized/targeted special enforcement and surveillance drives through its 4 Regional Offices and State/UT food safety authorities.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Food Manufacturers, Distributors, and Retailers
* **Impact:** Subject to increased surveillance, inspection, and random sampling to ensure compliance with food safety standards and regulations.
* **Action Required:** Ensure adherence to FSSAI standards, limits, and other statutory requirements, and prepare for potential inspections and enforcement actions.
**Stakeholder:** Consumers
* **Impact:** Improved access to food testing services and increased assurance of food safety and quality.
* **Action Required:** Utilize mobile food testing labs to test the quality of food.
**Stakeholder:** State Food Safety Authorities
* **Impact:** Responsible for enforcement of food safety standards at the field level and conducting surveillance.
* **Action Required:** Coordinate with FSSAI and conduct regular surveillance.
**Stakeholder:** National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
* **Impact:** Participate in primary analysis of food samples.
* **Action Required:** Provide testing services.
**Stakeholder:** Referral Food Laboratories
* **Impact:** Analyse appellate samples.
* **Action Required:** Provide testing services.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): Mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import.
Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006: Act regarding food safety and standards. The implementation and enforcement of the Act is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments.
Mobile Food Testing Laboratories (Food Safety on Wheels): Addresses deficiency of food testing infrastructure in remote areas and improves consumer access to such services.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Steps taken to Prevent Adulteration in Food
Items
FSSAI has notified 246 National Accreditation Board for
Testing and Calibration Laboratories for primary analysis of
food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the
analysis of appellate samples
Mobile Food Testing Laboratories, known as Food Safety on
Wheels address deficiency of food testing infrastructure in
remote areas and improve consumer access to such services
Currently 305 FSWs are deployed across 35 States/ UTs,
equipped to perform basic tests for common adulterants in
food products
Posted On: 10 FEB 2026 1:49PM by PIB Delhi
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. The implementation and enforcement of
the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State
Governments.
FSSAI through its regional offices and States/UTs food safety departments, conducts surveillance,
inspection, monitoring and random sampling to check & verify compliance with the standards &
requirements laid down under the FSS Act, 2006 & regulations made thereunder. FSSAI is responsible for
laying down science-based standards and ensuring overall coordination, the State Food Safety Authorities
are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level.
To ensure compliance with the set standards, limits, & other statutory requirements under the Act and
regulations made thereunder, FSSAI, through its 4 (four) Regional Offices and State/UT food safety
authorities conducts regular localized/targeted special enforcement and surveillance drives.
To ensure the quality and safety of food and food products through testing, FSSAI has notified 246
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories for primary analysis of food
samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories, for the analysis of appellate samples. To address the
deficiency of food testing infrastructure in remote areas and to improve consumer access to such services,
there are Mobile Food Testing Laboratories, known as Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs) at the State/UT
levels. Currently, 305 FSWs are deployed across 35 States/ UTs. These mobile labs are equipped toperform basic tests for common adulterants in food products. These multipurpose vehicles not only serve
as mobile testing units but also play a vital role in spreading food safety awareness and provide training
programmes.
Details of enforcement action on various food safety issues (including food adulteration) in the FY 2023-
24, FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 (so far) is annexed at Annexure-I and Annexure-II, respectively.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written
reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
********
Annexure-I
Details of enforcement action on various food safety issues (including food adulteration)
S. State/UT FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
No.
No. of No. of No. of No. of
Samples Samples Samples Samples
Analysed found non- Analysed found non-
conforming conforming
1 Andaman And Nicobar 0 0 810 4
Islands
2 Andhra Pradesh 6439 472 5984 514
3 Arunachal Pradesh 501 11 125 9
4 Assam 1139 125 1705 234
5 Bihar 2806 126 2863 124
6 Chandigarh 311 49 374 65
7 Chhattisgarh 1373 167 2069 270
8 Dadra and Nagar Haveli & 185 0 56 0
Daman & Diu
9 Delhi 3412 150 2624 130
10 Goa 599 16 1172 74
11 Gujarat 15841 910 12387 90112 Haryana 3485 856 2233 500
13 Himachal Pradesh 1618 401 1587 293
14 Jammu & Kashmir 9057 750 6955 651
15 Jharkhand 384 292 364 138
16 Karnataka 5492 286 9371 662
17 Kerala 10792 1304 10767 1635
18 Ladakh 638 11 417 45
19 Lakshadweep 0 0 0 0
20 Madhya Pradesh 13998 2022 13920 1635
21 Maharashtra 5087 1174 5403 1250
22 Manipur 168 3 126 1
23 Meghalaya 123 7 388 5
24 Mizoram 0 0 0 2
25 Nagaland 138 3 223 11
26 Orissa 2003 252 2282 273
27 Puducherry 31 0 173 0
28 Punjab 6041 929 4131 748
29 Rajasthan 18536 3493 13840 3788
30 Sikkim 231 0 254 0
31 Tamil Nadu 18146 2237 18071 2240
32 Telangana 6156 973 3347 324
33 Tripura 87 0 123 534 Uttar Pradesh 27750 16183 30380 16500
35 Uttarakhand 1998 192 1509 140
36 West Bengal 5948 414 14502 1217
Total 1,70,513 33808 1,70,535 34,388
Annexure-II
Details of enforcement action on various food safety issues (including food adulteration)
in the FY 2025-26 (till date)
Year No. of Samples Analysed No. of Samples found non-
conforming
2025-26 1,55,306 27,567*
*The data for FY 2025–26 is provisional.
*****
SR
HFW/Steps taken to Prevent Adulteration in Food Items/10 February 2026/3
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