Over 40,000 food samples found unsafe or below standards in FY26, only 1,918 convictions recorded: Govt
New Delhi, July 31
More than 40,000 food samples, including beverages and caffeinated drinks, were found to be non-conforming during 2025-26, while 1,918 convictions were recorded in cases related to food safety violations, the government informed Parliament on Friday.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav informed that 223,808 food samples were analysed during 2025-26. Of these, 40,023 samples were found to be non-conforming.
The government said that 31,878 civil cases were decided with penalties, while 1,918 criminal convictions were recorded. It added that the figures are provisional and may change after further laboratory testing and court proceedings.
The data covers enforcement action taken by State and Union Territory food safety authorities against non-conforming food products, including beverages and caffeinated beverages.
The government said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for laying down science-based food standards, while implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility of the Centre and the states.
The minister stated "FSSAI has taken many measures to curb adulteration in the food products such as awareness campaigns like "#No To Adulteration", "How to Check for Adulteration" and also provided funds for Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) or "Food Safety on wheels" (FSW), Food Safety Magic Boxes. The FSSAI has approved Rapid Analytical Food Testing (RAPID) Kits and published Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART) Booklet to detect adulteration".
The government also informed Parliament that 15 notices have been issued to food business operators during FY 2026-27 for violations of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
Minister said, "Further, 15 notices have been issued to FBOs during FY 2026-27 for violations of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020".
— ANI
Reader Comments
The government keeps launching awareness campaigns like #NoToAdulteration but what we really need is stricter enforcement and faster courts. My local kirana store sells packaged juices that taste suspicious, but who has time to file complaints? The system needs to be more accessible for common people.
Interesting to see India grappling with food safety challenges similar to other developing nations. The gap between detection and conviction suggests systemic issues in the legal process. Hopefully the government's mobile testing labs and rapid kits will help bridge this gap.
Yaar, this is scary! 223,808 samples tested and 18% failed. That means nearly 1 in 5 food items we buy might be unsafe. The FSSAI needs more power and states need to take this seriously. Also, why is the conviction rate so low? Courts need special fast-track for food crime cases.
As someone who runs a small food business, I can say many small vendors genuinely don't know about the standards. The government's awareness campaigns are good, but they need to reach tier-2 and tier-3 cities too. Also, testing should be more affordable for small businesses to get their products certified voluntarily.
31,878 civil cases with penalties but only 1,918 criminal convictions... Means most offenders just pay fines and get away. Corporate food giants can easily afford these penalties. The law needs to be tougher for repeat offenders. Also, why aren't there more surprise inspections?
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