Supreme Court Issues Notice to Centre on Food Adulteration

The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the central and state governments as well as union territories administrations on a PIL (public interest litigation) seeking stringent steps to curb the adulteration of food products. A bench headed by Chief Justice H.L.Dattu issued a notice on a PIL directed by lawyer Vineet Dhanda seeking a strict enforcement of laws to curb food adulteration. The notice also seek to raise the awareness about the dangers of adulteration in everyday edible items including medicines.(Laws to Prevent Food, Milk Adulteration to be Made Stringent)Pointing to the increasing menace of food adulteration in the country which is "literally driving the citizens "to various health hazards" resulting in "premature deaths", the PIL has sought the direction for closure of companies marketing adulterated edible food products.(Make milk adulteration punishable with life imprisonment: SC)"The government of India and the state governments have failed miserably in controlling the rising food adulteration throughout the country as no strict steps are being taken to prevent and check the food adulteration," the PIL said.Seeking an instant response team to deal with the complaints of food adulteration, the PIL aims at raising the awareness by maximizing the spread of information by government media.