Unsafe Foods Rate High: The Importance of Prioritizing Food Safety Policies

In the vibrant and diverse landscape of India, where food plays a central role in culture and daily life, a concerning trend has emerged over the past decade: the increasing prevalence of food adulteration. This issue, posing a serious threat to public health, has seen a significant escalation in recent years.

According to data from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and state authorities, the penalties levied on default food business operators (FBOs) have surged from 10.93 Crore in 2014-15 to a staggering 76.8 Crore in 2023-24. This rise reflects the growing awareness and stricter enforcement of food safety regulations.

The number of non-conforming food samples analyzed has also seen a substantial increase, rising from 14599 in 2014-15 to 34388 in 2024-25. This means that, on average, one in four food samples in India fail safety checks.

A closer look at these non-conforming samples reveals that nearly half of them were sub-standard, around 15% were unsafe, and the rest failed due to labelling or other compliance violations. Each unsafe or sub-standard product that reaches consumers endangers health and erodes public trust in the food system.

Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, a total of 2.4 Lakh Criminal and Civil cases were launched against defaulting FBOs. Convictions were obtained in 1.26 Lakh of these cases, and total penalties of Rs. 383 Crore were levied.

The FSSAI, along with state authorities, employs various methods to monitor food adulteration, including inspections, random sampling, and testing in accredited labs. Innovative initiatives like mobile "Food Safety on Wheels" vehicles also contribute to this effort.

Openly accessible and ready-to-use food data in India are provided by the Indian Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, which obtains price data directly from major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart to improve inflation measurement and reflect changing consumption patterns.

As the food industry in India continues to grow rapidly, ensuring food safety becomes an increasingly complex challenge. Safeguarding food safety is not just a matter of regulations and penalties; it is a moral imperative, as it upholds both the well-being of citizens and the essence of what truly nourishes India.

Unsafe and adulterated food practices not only threaten nutrition but also consumer trust. The challenge of adulteration has become a significant issue in India, one that requires continued vigilance and concerted efforts from all stakeholders to ensure a safe and healthy food supply for all.

For those interested in exploring these data further, clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets on food samples tested, non-conforming samples, and penalty cases can be downloaded from Dataful. The FSSAI's annual reports also provide detailed insights into the number of samples tested, those found unsafe or substandard, surveillance findings, and the legal actions taken against defaulting food businesses.