Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

The Bank of Baroda issued a possession notice under the SARFAESI Act to recover defaulted loans, but a clerical error inflated the outstanding amount, leading the borrower Phoenix India to allege defamation and file a criminal complaint under Sections 499, 500 and 501 IPC against the Bank's senior officers. The magistr…

The petitioners challenged a 2016 Maharashtra tender for supplying ready‑to‑cook food to Anganwadi centres, alleging that the tender’s conditions – mandatory use of extrusion technology, a turnover threshold of Rs 1 crore and requirement of automated production units – were arbitrary and excluded Mahila Mandals and sel…

The case concerns a challenge to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approval dated 18.10.2022 and the consequent decision dated 25.10.2022 for the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11. The petitioners argued that the approval suffered from procedural abnormalities, violated the righ…

The Centre for Public Interest Litigation filed a writ petition seeking a separate expert committee to examine the health effects of soft drinks, especially on children, and to compel the Union of India to impose stricter regulatory controls, labeling, and advertising standards. The Court examined whether the existing …

The petitioners, Ram Nath and others, challenged prosecutions under Sections 272 and 273 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for alleged adulteration and sale of noxious food, arguing that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) had an overriding effect. The State of Uttar Pradesh contended that simultaneous prosecut…

The case concerned whether pure coconut oil sold in small retail packs (5 ml‑2 L) should be classified as ‘edible oil’ under Heading 1513 of Chapter 15 or as ‘hair oil’ under Heading 3305 of Chapter 33 in the First Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985. The respondents marketed the oil as edible oil, while th…

The Supreme Court examined whether the catering department of Willingdon Sports Club, which serves food only to its members and their guests, must obtain a licence under Section 394(1)(e) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. The High Court had held the club exempt, reasoning that its primary activity was spor…

The appellants, owners of a chemical trading company, were accused of contravening the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by purchasing and allegedly repackaging pyridoxal‑5‑phosphate, a bulk food substance, for sale to drug manufacturers. The complaint was filed more than four years after the initial inspection, and the investig…

The appellant, a director of Bharti Retail, was charged with misbranding food products on 29 November 2010 under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA). Although the PFA was still in force, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) – including its penalty provision (Section 52) and overriding clause (…

The appellants were convicted under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PoFA) for selling adulterated curd and various food items, receiving six months' imprisonment and fines. They sought release on probation under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, arguing that Section 20AA of PoFA, which excluded probation, …

The appellants were convicted under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 for misbranding sugar‑boiled confectionery because the packages lacked the manufacturer’s address and date of manufacture. The conviction was upheld by the trial court, the district court and the Calcutta High Court, although the High Cou…

The Travancore Devaswom Board, which prepares and distributes Aravana Prasadam at Sabarimala Temple, procured cardamom through a series of tenders that were cancelled due to pesticide contamination, and subsequently awarded a supply order to respondent No.2 under an urgency clause. Respondent No.1, a previous supplier …

A complaint was lodged in 1989 alleging adulteration of Dalda Vanaspati Ghee manufactured by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). The trial magistrate initially absolved the company’s directors and continued prosecution against the nominated officer, Nirmal Sen, who was later convicted under the Prevention of Food Adulter…

Petitioners filed a public‑interest writ seeking a mandamus directing the Union and several State governments to curb the sale of adulterated and synthetic milk, relying on a 2011 FSSAI report that 68.4% of milk samples nationwide were non‑conforming. The respondents argued that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 …