Of the 2,23,808 samples tested nationally, Tamil Nadu's count was higher than those of Uttar Pradesh (39,519), Rajasthan (17,325), Kerala (16,746) and West Bengal (14,737). Of the 44,603 samples tested in Tamil Nadu, 3,984 were found non-conforming, or not meeting prescribed food-safety standards or statutory requirements, accounting for about 10 per cent of the national non-conforming count.

Food safety testing saw a sharp rise, taking the number of samples analysed from 18,071 in 2024-25 to 44,603 in 2025-26, the highest among all states and union territories. Convictions too rose 74 per cent over the previous year to 857, while civil cases decided with penalty fell to 1,359, their lowest in the five-year period. Nationally, the corresponding figures were 8,86,712 samples tested, 1,78,692 non-conforming, 1,43,507 civil cases with penalty and 6,251 convictions. The reply also notes that Tamil Nadu has 68 vacant Food Safety Officer posts out of 394 sanctioned.

To the question of whether there is any specific regulatory framework for quick-commerce dark stores, the Union had said that dark stores are covered under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, which governs storage conditions, temperature control, hygiene, transportation, pest control and record-keeping for traceability.

Two other parts of the question also went unanswered: One, state-wise and year-wise deaths due to food adulteration over the last five years and two, reasons behind rising adulteration, contamination, counterfeiting and repeated violations, the Government had stated only that FSSAI lays down science-based standards while enforcement is a shared Centre-State responsibility, with roughly 98 per cent of Food Business Operators regulated by State and UT authorities.