Key Update 

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a plea that accused traders in Kerala of selling toxic cassia as cinnamon. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, who heard the case, dismissed the petition that challenged a Kerala High Court order from August 2024.

Petition Raises Health Concerns

The petitioner claimed that traders in Kerala were selling cassia disguised as cinnamon. He argued that cassia contained toxic compounds such as cyanide and coumarin, which could cause cancer and posed serious health risks. He had sought restrictions on its sale and a ban on its import, citing the danger to human consumption. The bench held that the Kerala High Court had already directed the authorities to act and declined to further monitor the matter. It dismissed the plea.

High Court’s Earlier Directions

The Kerala High Court had instructed the state’s food safety commissioner to act on the petitioner’s representations. The authority informed the court that it had already asked food safety commissioners across states and Union Territories, as well as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to conduct market surveillance. The High Court also emphasised the need for awareness campaigns. It directed state authorities to follow FSSAI’s instructions strictly, conduct surveillance drives, and caution food business operators and consumers against cassia being sold as cinnamon.

Source: Hindustan Times