Lucknow, March 7 -- : Thirty-eight years - That's how long a curious case of alleged ice cream adulteration has remained stuck in court, showcasing the ineffectiveness of crackdowns on adulterated food items in Lucknow due to prolonged delays in settlement of cases.

There's more. Another case involving milk adulteration has remained unresolved for 28 years.

Such cases should have been settled with a fine or penalty in just a few hearings. But they continue to be delayed for decades, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the legal framework in addressing food adulteration.

An official from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FSDA), speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "The inability to quickly and dec...