CERC moots regulatory body for food sector

The Ahmedabad-based consumer rights organisation, Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), has stressed the need for constituting a regulatory authority for monitoring the safety, nutrition and labelling standards of the food processing industry.

In a representation made to the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries, CERC said that these provisions are absent in the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954. The Union Ministry had sought CERC's views on the Food Safety and Standards Bill 2005.

CERC said the PFA Act deals largely with the prevention of adulteration, particularly prosecution for the violation of the provisions.

It does not deal with the nutritional aspects, nor does it provide for compensation to consumers for loss, injury or death because of non-compliance with the Act.

Also there is no provision for disgorgement of unjust enrichment or class action suits against the producers or distributors of unsafe, substandard or underweight food products and/or false or misleading advertising, or sale of spurious or counterfeit food products.

Most prosecutions involve milk and dairy products, edible oils, spices and soft drinks and after a number of years of court trial, 85 per cent of the prosecutions end up in acquittal or discharge.