The Supreme Court on Thursday favoured life imprisonment to people indulging in production and marketing of adulterated milk and asked state governments to make amendments to laws. A bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and A K Sikri said punishment of six months jail term mentioned in Food Safety Act is grossly inadequate and asked states to amend the law as has been done by Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha. The bench was hearing PILs seeking its direction to states to stop the practice. Advocate Anurag Tomar, appearing for the petitioners, contended that milk contaminated with synthetic material is being sold in various states, particularly in northern states, posing serious threat to the life and health of consumers. He submitted that samples collected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in 2011 revealed large-scale sale of adulterated milk across the country. The bench, after hearing his submission, asked states to make punishment harsher for such offence and sought states’ response on what action they are taking to eliminate the menace of adulterated milk in the country. It posted the case for further hearing on January 13.