• Primary Health Care
  • Health Sub Centre
  • Immunization Schedule
  • Immunization Performance
  • Disease Burden
  • Preventive of Food Adultration
  • Industrial Hygenie & Health
  • Registration of Birth & Death
  • Training
  • School Health
  • R.C.A.P.
  • Statistics
  • Officers
• Home

Prevention of Food Adulteration

• Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1955 as amended from time to time are enforced in the State of Tamil Nadu.
• The Act aims at the abatement of adulteration in food articles of human consumption commonly used by the people so as to enable the people to have access to wholesome and unadulterated food.
• In the urban of the State, Municipal/Corporation Health Officers are functioning as Local Health Authorities and where there is no Health Officer the Commissioner acts as Local Health Authority. 
• In the rural areas Medical Officers of the Primary Health Centres are functioning as Local Health Authorities.  The Food Inspectors function under the control and guidelines for the purpose of enforcement. 
• Lifting of food-samples have been fixed only for 481 local bodies including all Corporations, Municipalities and cantonments and certain Town Panchayats and Panchayat Unions.
• The food samples lifted under the Act are tested for adulteration in seven Food Analysis Laboratories in the State. 
• One is under the control of Chennai Corporation and the other 6 situated at Guindy, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur, Palayamkottai & Salem are under the control of this Department.
• The Food Inspectors as per the guidelines of Local Health Authority and Public Analysts in the above Laboratories authorised for launching prosecution. 
• In the Court of law they pursue cases with the assistance of APP & Legal Adviser at the Directorate, in Courts, if the food sample found to be adulterated and certified by the Govt./Public Analyst.
• The public who is in need of testing the food samples suspected to be adulterated may contact the nearby Food Analysis Laboratory.

PROCEDURE FOR ANALYSING  NON - STATUTORY SAMPLES

Besides  analysis  of  statutory  samples  the  Food  Analysis Laboratories  undertake  the  analysis  of  non  -  statutory  samples  received  from  the  consumers,  private   purchasers,   traders   and manufacturers.

Consumers  can  get  their  food  samples analysed by the Food Analysis Laboratories paying an analysis fee of Rs.500/- per sample to know the quality of the food.

In case of any specific complaint, consumer can send the  food sample   through  consumer  court  to  the  respective  Food  Analysis Laboratory for analysis paying the necessary analysis fees.  Based  on the  analytical  report  of the lab, the consumer can get redressal or compensation through the consumer court as the case may be.

Small traders can also approach the Food Analysis Laboratories for testing their food products to know the quality and conformity  of  standards.   They  can  also  get  advice  and guidance with regard to proper labeling of the product as per the latest legal requirements.

BAN ON THE SALE OF CHEWING TOBACCO, GUDKA AND PAN MASALA

Pan Masala combined with tobacco leads to oral cancer and  damage other organs as well. The disease of sub-mucus fibrosis leads to mouth cancer. Nearly a  third of all cancers that occur in the country attribute to use  of Pan Masala. It is  possible that the wide spread tobacco chewing habit is  responsible for the high incidence of cancer of the oral cavity in India.

To save the younger generation  who have become addict to this ill habit and in the interest of public health the  Director of  Public  Health  and Preventive Medicine who is the State Food Health Authority of Tamilnadu has  banned  the  sale  of  Chewing Tobacco,  Gudka  and  Pan  Masala containing tobacco or any other ingredient injurious to health in the State of  Tamilnadu  for  a period of five years with effect from 19th November 2001