No facility to test oxytocin in fruits, vegetables: Delhi govt

The standing counsel of the government submitted that food products order is not implemented by Prevention of Food Adulteration department and that no testing facility is available to see the presence of oxytocin in food articles in Prevention of Food Adulteration Lab.

The HC asked the city government to file a proper affidavit on food adulteration after the standing counsel told the court to ignore the present one as there were some typographical errors in it.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan allowed Najmi Waziri to withdraw the present affidavit. The Bench asked the lawyer to file the proper affidavit by January 19.

The Bench was hearing a PIL seeking directions to the city government to take appropriate steps for preventing artificially coloured vegetables and fruits in markets here.

"Use of such chemicals in eatables causes cancer and other diseases," the petitioner's counsel Sugreev Dubey said adding the concerned authority failed to take any action despite making several complaints to it since last year.

According to the petitioner Salek Chand Jain, though rules under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act were notified in the year 2000, adulteration is going on unabated.

He also said traders make use of oxytocin in various agricultural products for giving a fresh and shining look to attract the consumers.

The counsel alleged the traders start polishing fruits and vegetables with artificial colours to make them appear fresh after their transportation to markets.