5.1.1. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is responsible for ensuring quality food to the consumers. Keeping this in view, a legislation called "Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 has been enacted. The objective envisaged in this legislation is to ensure pure and wholesome food to the consumers and also to prevent fraud or deception. The Act has been amended thrice, in 1964, 1976 and in 1986 with the objective of plugging the loopholes and making the punishment more stringent and empowering the Consumers and Voluntary Organisations to play a more effective role in its implementation.