New Delhi: More than 7,700 complaints related to food adulteration and safety were received in 2024-25, out of which nearly 6,000 have been resolved, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs B. L. Verma said consumer complaints about food safety are received through the online portal of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
According to the government data, 4,330 complaints were received in 2022-23, out of which 4,074 were resolved.
In 2023-24, the number of complaints increased to 4,735, with 3,993 cases resolved. The figure rose further in 2024-25, when 7,705 complaints were registered and 5,952 of them were addressed.
The complaints are registered on the Food Safety Connect platform, which is part of the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS).
Once a complaint is registered, the concerned Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers as well as food business operators get online access to the grievance, the minister explained.
“Regulatory action on such complaints is taken by the respective state food safety departments in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” Verma stated.
The minister said the food regulator is responsible for setting science-based standards for food products and regulating their manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure safe food for consumers.
However, enforcement at the ground level is mainly carried out by state food safety authorities through designated officers and food safety officers.
To ensure compliance with food safety standards, the regulator conducts inspections, sampling and targeted enforcement drives through its regional offices and state authorities.
These include activities under the National Annual Surveillance Plan as well as other monitoring initiatives.
The authority has also introduced a Risk Based Inspection System that decides the frequency of inspections based on the level of risk associated with different food products.
If violations of safety standards are found, food business operators may face regulatory or punitive action under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
(IANS)
