The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has received a complaint about Chinese garlic being sold in Chennai markets. As a result, the FSSAI has asked the Department of Food Safety of Tamil Nadu to monitor the situation and take action on the same.
In India, Chinese garlic has been banned since 2005 because it was found to contain harmful fungi such as Embellisia allii and Urocystis cepulae.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Ram Nath Thakur, informed the Lok Sabha that the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence have seized 546 tons of Chinese garlic in the year 2023-24 and 507 tons in the year 2024-25.
The import of agricultural products in India is regulated by the Plant Quarantine Order of 2003. The Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S) in Faridabad thoroughly evaluates the pest risk of these products before allowing them into the nation. It is required for exporting countries to follow the pest control measures.
Various agencies, such as CBIC, DRI, and plant quarantine stations, monitor imports and their entry into the nation. These agencies take action against anyone who is breaking the rules under the plant quarantine order and the Customs Act.
In light of the above-mentioned points, the government has instructed various agencies, including the plant quarantine stations, CBIC, and DRI, to take appropriate actions to prevent the illegal import of Chinese garlic into the country. All plant quarantine stations under the Department of Agriculture have been instructed to take steps to prevent the import of banned Chinese garlic into India.
