In a related development, the chief judicial magistrate in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, has penalized three individuals associated with Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. This follows a quality test failure of one of Patanjali’s food products at a laboratory in Rudrapur.
The issue originated in 2019 when a food safety inspector raised concerns about Patanjali’s Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi at a local shop in Berinag. Samples were collected, and notices were issued to the distributor and Patanjali’s Haridwar office.
In December 2020, the Rudrapur lab informed authorities that the sweet was substandard. Cases were then filed against businessman Lila Dhar Pathak, distributor Ajay Joshi, and Patanjali assistant manager Abhishek Kumar. The three have now been fined and sentenced to six months in prison.
In a related development, the Supreme Court has asked Patanjali whether sales have stopped for 14 products whose licenses were recently suspended by Uttarakhand authorities. Patanjali’s counsel stated they have halted these sales.
The court has sought affidavits on steps taken to recall advertisements for the suspended products. Orders have been reserved on a contempt notice against Patanjali, its co-founder Balkrishna, and yoga guru Ramdev.
This incident underscores the importance of quality control, especially for major consumer brands. Patanjali now faces the challenge of regaining consumer trust amidst these regulatory issues.
