Introduction
The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 was the earlier law governing food adulteration and unsafe food practices in India. However, the Act was repealed after the enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Today, all complaints relating to adulterated food, unsafe packaged products, unhygienic food preparation, contaminated items, or misleading food labels are handled under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and related regulations issued by the Food Saftey and Standards Authority of India.
A person cannot file a fresh legal complaint under the old Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Instead, complaints must be submitted through the present food safety framework managed by food safety officers, state authorities, and consumer grievance systems.
Who Can File A Food Adulteration Complaint?
Any consumer, purchaser, resident, patient, restaurant customer, or affected individual may file a complaint regarding unsafe or adulterated food. Complaints may relate to expired food, fake food products, contaminated packaged items, unhygienic restaurants, poor storage conditions, artificial colouring, duplicate brands, or unsafe street food.
A complaint may also be filed if a food item causes illness, contains insects or foreign substances, has misleading labels, or violates food safety standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
How Can A Complaint Be Filed Online?
Consumers may file complaints directly through the official portal of FSSAI. The portal allows users to report food adulteration, unsafe packaging, misleading advertisements, or unhygienic food handling practices.
The complaint generally requires details such as the product name, batch number, manufacturer details, purchase date, and nature of the defect or adulteration.
Consumers may additionally contact the FSSAI toll-free helpline at 1800-11-2100 to report urgent food safety concerns.
How Can A Complaint Be Filed Before Local Food Safety Authorities?
A consumer may visit the office of the local Food Safety Officer or the District Food Safety Commissioner and submit a written complaint.
The written complaint should clearly mention the name of the food product, brand details, date of purchase, place of purchase, and the nature of the adulteration or defect. If available, the complainant should attach bills, receipts, photographs, videos, medical records, or samples of the food item.
Once the complaint is received, the Food Safety Officer may inspect the premises, collect food samples, send them for laboratory testing, and initiate legal proceedings if violations are found.
Can A Consumer File A Case In Consumer Court?
A private individual may also approach the consumer commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 if adulterated or defective food causes financial loss, illness, mental distress, or deficiency in service. Consumer complaints may seek compensation, refund, damages, or other relief against sellers, restaurants, manufacturers, or distributors.
Consumers may register grievances through the official portal of consumer helpline before approaching the consumer commission.
What Action Can Authorities Take Under The Food Safety Law?
Food safety authorities have powers to inspect premises, seize unsafe food products, suspend licences, impose penalties, and prosecute offenders. Serious violations involving dangerous or harmful food substances may lead to criminal prosecution, fines, cancellation of licences, or imprisonment under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Authorities may also order the destruction of unsafe food products and prohibit the sale or manufacture of adulterated items.
What Documents Should Be Preserved By The Consumer?
Consumers should preserve the food packet, purchase bill, barcode details, expiry date information, photographs, and medical records if the food product caused illness. These documents help authorities verify the complaint and conduct proper investigation.
Photographs showing contamination, insects, fungus, leakage, or misleading packaging may also strengthen the complaint before food safety authorities or consumer forums.
Conclusion
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 created a unified legal framework for food regulation in India. The law protects consumers from unsafe food practices and ensures that manufacturers, restaurants, and sellers comply with hygiene and safety standards.
The Act also empowers authorities to regulate food quality, licensing, labelling, storage, transport, and manufacturing processes across the country.
