Key Update

A municipal court in Rajkot sentenced two food business operators to six months of rigorous imprisonment after laboratory tests detected banned artificial colours in food served at their establishments. Judicial Magistrate First Class Kamleshkumar R. Gagnani convicted the operators under Section 3(1)(zz) and Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, for selling unsafe food products containing prohibited oil-soluble dyes.

Sambar Sample Found Unsafe

In the first case, the court sentenced Ravi Meghani, owner of “GJ-3 Dosa Corner” in Ambika Township, to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. Food Safety Officer K. J. Sarvaiya collected a sample of loose sambar from the outlet on December 12, 2019. The Food and Drug Laboratory in Vadodara later declared the sample unsafe after detecting an impermissible oil-soluble colour.

Illegal Dyes Found in Chutney

In the second case, the court sentenced Kanu Bambhava, owner of “Jay Dwarkadhish Hotel” on University Road, to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh. Food Safety Officer C. D. Vaghela collected a sample of garlic-chilli chutney from the hotel on November 23, 2021. Laboratory analysis later confirmed the presence of illegal pink and orange oil-soluble dyes in the sample.

Court Acts Against Unsafe Food Practices

The court treated both cases as violations involving unsafe food products and reinforced action against the use of banned artificial colours in food items sold to consumers.

Source: The Times of India