Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 272
repealedAdulteration of food or drink intended for sale
Whoever adulterates any article of food or drink, so as to make such article noxious as food or drink, intending to sell such article as food or drink, or knowing it to be likely that the same will be sold as food or drink, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
Why this exists
This section protects public health by punishing the deliberate contamination or mixing of food and drink with harmful substances before it reaches consumers, whether to cut costs, increase quantity, or for any other reason. It was one of the Indian Penal Code's earliest food-safety protections, though it has since been substantially supplemented by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which sets more detailed modern standards and generally carries stricter penalties. The IPC itself has been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, effective 1 July 2024.