CHANDIGARH, April 10 – Nearly 22% of milk-based product samples tested in Chandigarh during 2024–25 failed to meet safety standards, marking the highest rate of food adulteration in four years and raising alarms over public health risks.
The figures were revealed during the ongoing session of the Lok Sabha by Prataprao Jadhav, minister of state for health and family welfare. He said that the percentage of adulterated milk products in Chandigarh rose sharply from 7.22% in 2021–22 to 22% in 2024–25.
A total of 114 samples were tested this year, of which 24 were found non-conforming. In 2023–24, 49 out of 311 samples (15.76%) failed quality checks. In 2022–23, 64 of 473 samples (13.53%) and in 2021–22, 28 of 388 samples (7.22%) were non-compliant.
Jadhav informed the House that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), formed under the 2006 Act, monitors food safety and can take penal action against violators. “Penalties under the Act include fines and even life imprisonment in serious cases,” he noted.
Director of Health Services Dr. Suman Singh said food inspectors have been tasked with regular sample collection. “Show-cause notices are issued first. Cases are filed before the adjudicating officer, and fines between ₹30,000 and ₹2 lakh are imposed if products fail quality tests,” she said.
However, local residents are unconvinced about year-round vigilance. “The sad part is that the health department swings into action only during the festival season,” said Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations Chandigarh (FOSWAC). “In 2023, 10 out of 50 samples failed, and those cases are still under prosecution.”
Officials clarified that while legal samples form the basis for prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act, surveillance samples are mainly used for research and monitoring trends.
