Khurda: The Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Khurda has imposed a fine of Rs 14.4 lakh on Parle Biscuits Private Limited for printing misleading information on packets of ‘sugar-free’ biscuits in violation of the provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
The order came recently in response to a complaint by a Food Safety Officer (FSO) from East Coast Railway (ECoR), Khurda Road Division, alleging false claims regarding the sale of food products. Under Section 68 of the FSSA, the ADM directed the concerned parties to deposit the fine amount within one month of receiving the notice. The penalties include Rs 3 lakh on Bhagabati Food Private Limited, Rs 3 lakh on the franchise operators, Rs 1 lakh for a distributor in Jatni, and Rs 20,000 on a salesman operating stalls on platform number 6 and 7 at Khurda Road railway station. The salesman, licensed under ECoR, was found responsible for selling improperly labelled products. The ADM instructed the parties to ensure compliance by making necessary amendments to product labeling, addressing discrepancies such as misleading ‘sugar-free’ claims.
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Failure to comply with the directives and deposit the fines within the stipulated period may result in further legal action, the ADM said. Based on received information, FSOs, in coordination with the enforcement team, inspected stall number 5 at platform number 6 and 7. The inspection was conducted under the FSSA, 2006, to verify product quality. During the inspection, a packet of biscuits from Parle company was found with an improperly labelled declaration that appeared suspicious. The packet displayed unclear information, sources said. The product label indicated it was sugar-free, with four sealed packets weighing 327.6 gram each.
On May 30, 2023, the Bhubaneswar Food Laboratory issued a report that confirmed that the product was mislabeled and violated Section 3.1(j) of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. Subsequently, the food safety officer filed a complaint with the ADM’s court against the vendor. Based on the evidence, the court delivered its verdict.
