Patanjali Ayurved Faces Legal Action Over Quality Standards
The adjudicating officer court in Pithoragarh has imposed significant penalties on Patanjali Ayurved Ltd for selling substandard cow ghee, marking a notable enforcement of food safety regulations in Uttarakhand.
The court levied a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, headquartered in Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra, while also penalizing the local distributor Brahma Agencies with Rs 25,000 and retailer Karan General Store with Rs 15,000 for their involvement in the case.
The Investigation and Testing Process
The case originated on October 20, 2020, when a food security officer collected a sample of cow ghee from Karan General Store located at Kashani in Pithoragarh. The purchase documentation clearly identified both the distributor, Brahma Agencies from Dharchula Road, Pithoragarh, and the manufacturer, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd from Ahmadnagar.
According to RK Sharma, assistant commissioner of Food Security and Drug Administration, the sample was sent to the state food and drug testing laboratory in Rudrapur for analysis. The laboratory results confirmed that the product failed to meet established quality standards, prompting the department to formally notify Patanjali about the findings in 2021.
In response to the initial findings, Patanjali exercised its right to seek secondary testing from a central agency. On October 15, 2021, the company deposited Rs 5,000 for this procedure and requested analysis by a central testing facility. The very next day, the sample was dispatched to the central food testing agency in Ghaziabad.
By November 2021, the central agency had corroborated the initial findings, confirming that the cow ghee sample indeed failed to comply with quality standards, as confirmed by Sharma.
Legal Proceedings and Company Response
Following careful review of both laboratory reports, the food safety department initiated formal legal action in February 2022. The case was filed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with official notices served to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
After conducting multiple hearings and examining all evidence, the court delivered its verdict on Thursday, imposing the financial penalties while also cautioning the company to strictly adhere to the standards outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Act moving forward.
A Patanjali official has strongly contested the court's decision, describing the order as "defective and illegal" in their preliminary response. The company representative indicated that Patanjali intends to challenge the verdict by filing an appeal with the food safety tribunal.
This case highlights the ongoing enforcement of food quality standards across India and demonstrates the legal consequences faced by companies when products fail to meet established safety requirements.
