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Food Safety, Medicine Prices, and Consumer Rights

  • 19 Oct 2024

In October, 2024, Parliamentary committees are set to investigate critical consumer-related issues, including the sugar content in packaged baby foods, rising medicine prices, and consumer protection in the banking sector.

Key Points

  • Regulating Baby Food Sugar Content: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, will scrutinize the regulation of packed commodities, with a particular focus on the sugar content in baby food products.
  • This comes after reports that baby products sold in India, Africa, and Latin America have higher sugar content compared to those in Europe.
  • Ensuring Availability of Essential Commodities: The committee will also review the availability of essential commodities, such as petroleum products, and discuss measures to control food grain wastage in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns.
  • Price Rise of Medicines: The Parliamentary Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers will address the rising cost of medicines and evaluate self-sufficiency in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) production.
  • Plastic Waste Management and Disinvestment: Another priority for the committee is the establishment of plastic waste management centers and minimizing plastic usage in India.
  • Transportation and Modernization of Food Distribution: The Consumer Affairs Committee will review the infrastructure for food grain storage, transportation efficiency via railways, and the modernization of the Public Distribution System (PDS).
  • Biofuel Production and Consumer Rights in Banking: The committees will also examine biofuel production from sugar and grains, as well as consumer rights protection in the banking sector, including the role of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in maintaining product quality standards.