Consumer Rights and Food Safety

Consumer Rights and Responsibilities

• Standard Marks: Ghee products should have Agmark certification, and biscuits should have FSSAI marks
• Consumer Duties: Consumers should be aware of their rights and responsibilities, check product quality, demand proper receipts, and file complaints about unfair trade practices or defective goods
• Overcharging for Medicines: Compare prices with the MRP, verify online or with other pharmacies, report overcharging to the consumer protection authority and raise awareness with other consumers.
• Buying Packed Food: Check expiry dates, manufacturing dates, FSSAI or ISI marks, packaging for tampering or damage, ingredient lists, and nutritional information

Food Safety and Malpractices

• Sweets Sellers: Avoid sweets with unusual colors (harmful non-edible coloring agents). Report sellers who use harmful ingredients to food safety authorities.
• Vegetable Vendors: Inspect the quality of vegetables; ensure the weighing scales are accurate, do not mix low quality vegetables with fresh vegetables.
• General Malpractices: Beware of counterfeit or substandard goods, overcharging, inaccurate weights and measures, and sellers who hide product defects.

Food Adulteration and Product Safety

• Food Adulteration Definition: Deliberate addition of inferior substances to food to increase quantity and reduce cost
• Unsafe Food: Food with harmful substances or contaminants making it unfit for consumption
• Metanil Yellow Hazards: Causes stomach and indigestion, possible liver and kidney damage, neurological problems, possible carcinogenic effects.
• Adulterants in Tea: Artificial coloring agents. Avoid tea with unnatural or overly vibrant colors.
• Irregular Shaped Chana Dal: Potential adulteration with synthetic substances like stone chips or polished dal. Inspect appearance and purchase from trusted sellers.

Product Complaints and Redressal

• Defective Oven: Keep the bill and warranty card, explain the problem to the shop keeper, file a complaint with the consumer dispute redressal forum if necessary, attach evidence like bills, warranty cards and photos.

• Vegetable Weights: Check the weights for hidden weights, faulty scales, excess packaging weight or using methods to increase vegetable weights.

This quiz covers vital information on consumer rights and responsibilities, particularly regarding food safety standards and practices. Learn about essential certifications, how to identify safe food products, and understand your role as a consumer in ensuring quality and safety. Test your knowledge on the duties every consumer should uphold.