selling food illegally

Offences under the PFA

The offenses and the corresponding penalties are set out in Chapter IV of the Act. Some important mentioned offenses include the following:

Selling Food Against Law (S.22(1))

Majority of offenses fall within heading. If someone sells or offers for sale adulterated food or food not in compliance with the relevant provisions, he/she shall be liable to imprisonment for one to six months and fine one lac to ten lac rupees.

Substandard or Misbranded Food (S.23)

Any person who manufactures any food which is substandard or misbranded, shall be liable to imprisonment for one to six months and fine one lac to ten lac rupees.

False Advertisement & False Labeling

These are covered in S.25 & S.26 of the Act. The punishments for the offenses are imprisonment for six months to a year and fine ten lac to twenty lac rupees and imprisonment for six months to a year and fine five lac to ten lac rupees.

Failure to Comply (S.27)

In case of failure to comply with any order or notice issued by Punjab Food Authority or a Food Safety Officer without reasonable cause, he/she shall be liable to imprisonment upto three months and fine upto five hundred thousand rupees.

Obstruction (S.31)

If any person, including the food operator or anyone subordinate to him, obstructs PFA's officer in the course of his/her duties, he/she can be sentenced to prison for a period upto six months & fined five thousand maximum or both under S.31.

Similarly in relation to unlawful interference with seized property, he/she may be penalized in the same manner. In case of subsequent offense, the offender is liable to be fined upto two lacs or cancellation of food license under S.34.

Note: The court can order PFA to publish information such as names, places, nature of offense or penalties via any medium to inform the general public. In addition to this, the food operator can be made liable to pay the cost for the publication.