Penalty for selling food or drink not of the nature, substance or quality of the article demanded by the purchaser.

(1) Whoever sells, to the prejudice of any purchaser, any article of food or drink which is not of the nature, substance or quality of the article demanded by such purchaser, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees : Provided that an offence shall not be deemed to be committed under this section in the following cases, that it to say-(a) where any matter or ingredient not injurious to health has been added to food or drink in order to the production or preparation of the same as an article of commerce in a state fit for carriage or consumption, and not fraudulently to increase the bulk, weight or measure or conceal the inferior quality thereof; (b) where food or drink is unavoidably mixed with some extraneous matter in the process of collection or preparation. (2) In any prosecution under this section it shall be no defence to allege that the vendor was ignorant of the nature, substance or quality of the article sold by him, or that the purchaser, having bought such article only for analysis, was not prejudiced by the sale ; Provided that this section shall not apply to those areas to which the State Government has directed or may direct that the Punjab Pure Food Act, 1929 shall apply.