Jaipur: In the first quarter of the financial year 2025-26, as many as 489 people have been convicted by courts for food adulteration, and only 10 acquitted, out of 499 such cases decided, according to health department’s official figures. In the previous financial year (2024-25), health department filed 3,141 cases related to food adulteration in courts across the state, in which the courts acquitted just 30 accused, while the rest were convicted for food adulteration.In the first quarter of the current financial year, the department conducted 3,432 inspections against the target of 2,820 inspections. In 2024-25, the department had conducted 13,613 inspections against a target of 11,160. A health department official said, “We are continuously conducting inspections of food establishments. Upon food samples failing safety tests, we are presenting the cases to courts.” Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently praised the state for efforts to prevent adulteration through sampling actions and public awareness campaigns. The ongoing campaign against adulteration in the state has increased public awareness and is effectively curbing adulteration, it noted.However, the concern is the pendency of cases that still have to be filed in courts. In April, May, and June this year, the department filed 998 cases but is yet to file 1,583 cases related to food adulteration and other violations of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006. In Jaipur alone, 297 cases are yet to be filed in courts. FSSAI has emphasised the importance of concluding adjudication cases within 90 days of the first hearing of the case, as mandated by the FSS Act 2006. From April 2024 to March 2025, 18,213 food samples were collected in the state. Among these, 863 were found unsafe, 3,734 substandard, and 131 misbranded.
