Panchkula's Food Safety Flaw: A Mere 11 Adulteration Cases in Court Over Six Years

In a concerning revelation, Panchkula's food safety enforcement appears to be lagging significantly. Over the past six years, a mere 11 cases of food adulteration have managed to reach the courts, casting a long shadow over the efficacy of checks and balances designed to protect public health. This alarming statistic comes despite a substantial number of samples being collected and tested annually by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Haryana.

Since 2018, the FDA in Haryana has reported collecting 2,829 food samples from across the state for testing.

Out of these, a startling 405 samples were found to be adulterated or misbranded. However, when it comes to legal action in Panchkula, the numbers dwindle dramatically. While 249 samples were collected in Panchkula district alone over the last six years, with 40 of them failing tests, only 11 cases have progressed to the judicial system.

The discrepancy is glaring.

Data provided by the FDA indicates that in 2018, out of 38 samples collected, 12 were found to be adulterated or misbranded. Yet, only three cases made it to court. The following year, 2019, saw 42 samples collected, with seven failing; two cases were filed. In 2020, six out of 29 samples failed, resulting in zero cases filed.

This trend continued into 2021, where out of 31 samples, five failed, and only one case was initiated.

The situation barely improved in subsequent years. In 2022, 10 out of 48 samples were found to be adulterated or misbranded, leading to four court cases. The most recent figures for 2023 show six failures out of 61 samples collected, with just one case filed.

This consistent pattern points to a systemic bottleneck in prosecuting food safety violations.

When questioned about the sluggish progress in court filings, a senior FDA official attributed the delays to the time-consuming process of sample collection and dispatch for testing. "After a sample is collected, it is sent to the lab, and it takes around a month for the report to arrive.

If the sample is found to be non-compliant, a legal notice is sent to the concerned party, who is given a month to respond. If the reply is unsatisfactory, the file is forwarded to the district magistrate for further action, a process that can take another month. Finally, a civil court case is initiated," the official explained.

This bureaucratic labyrinth highlights the challenges faced in bringing food adulterers to justice.

The slow pace of legal proceedings, coupled with the extended timelines for each stage of investigation, creates an environment where violations can persist with minimal accountability. Consumers in Panchkula are left wondering if their food is truly safe, given the apparent difficulty in penalizing those who compromise its quality and integrity.