Maharashtra Government orders Life-term Punishment for Food Adulteration

Guwahati: Announcing food adulteration as a punishable offense and to put a check on the unhealthy practice, the Maharashtra government has come up with a remarkable decision. As announced by the Maharashtra government on Thursday, from now onwards, if anyone is caught doing food adulteration, he/they will be charged on a non-bailable offense and punished with life-term imprisonment.

Announcing the same, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat said amendments to the Prevention of Food Adulteration (Maharashtra Amendment) Act will be tabled in the House before the ongoing winter session of State legislature ends.

Speaking on the matter, the minister said, “Substances like detergent powder, urea, skimmed milk powder, caustic soda, glucose, refined oil, salt and starch are mixed in milk to preserve it, thereby endangering lives of people who consume it.”

The minister, while responding to a calling attention notice by Congress MLA Bhai Jagtap, added that the government was aware of the consequences of food adulteration and is committed to stopping the malpractice.

Stating one of the instances of food alteration which is most commonly found practice in India, Mr. Jagtap said that milk processing companies collect milk from farmers but later turns the liquid into “poisonous” by adding several ingredients along with the use of low-quality water. The outcome is that, by the time it reaches the consumers, it turns poisonous.

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