Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

About

• Established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act).
• Administratively managed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• Headquarters in Delhi.
• FSSAI was established in 2008, but work within the Authority began in 2011 after its Rules and key Regulations were notified.
• Seven Key Processes of FSSAI: standardization of food product, food safety practices development, license of food businesses, compliance check, testing food for standards, training and capacity building, and citizen outreach.
• Functions of FSSAI:
  • Framing regulation
  • Issuing FSSAI license and certification for food
  • Framing procedure of laboratories
  • Suggestions to government
  • Data Collection
  • Networking for information, and raising public awareness regarding general food safety.
• FSSAI Legislative Framework encompasses the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal and the Registrar of the Appellate Tribunal, Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011, and the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal and Registrar of the Appellate Tribunal.
• The FSSAI consists of a Chairperson and 22 members, one-third of which are women.

Initiatives

• Heart Attack Rewind:
  • First mass media campaign to eradicate trans fat from India by 2022.
• FSSAI-CHIFSS:
  • Joint effort of FSSAI and CII-HUL Initiative on Food Safety Sciences.
• State Food Safety Index (SFSI):
  • Measures performance of states on five parameters of food safety.
• Eat Right India Movement:
  • Aims to transform the food system of the country.
• Eat Right Station Certification:
  • Gains certification for safe and wholesome food in railway stations.

Landmark Cases:

• Nestle India Limited Maggi Case:
  • Maggi noodles have excess lead, which are not fit for human consumption.
• Cadbury India:
  • Worms found in Cadbury’s Dairy Milk.

Challenges and Weaknesses of FSSAI in India

• Challenges:
  • The “petty manufacturers, retailers and hawkers” are exempted from FSSAI’s ambit, which further results in an unorganised food sector.
• Weaknesses:
  • Inadequate infrastructure such as food testing laboratories.
  • Qualified man-power and functional food testing equipment in short supply.
  • States have a shortage of licensing and enforcement officers.
  • FSSAI is prescriptive and is unable to ensure safety, quality, and hygiene in the food industry.
  • Only 377 products are mentioned under FSSAI regulations, in comparison with over 10,000 standards of other countries.
  • Less funding and lack of standardized practices in food inspection.
  • Long procedures for approval result in delayed pre-launch clearances for products.
  • Food imported products are usually held back at ports for clearance by FSSAI.
  • Lack of consensus between food regulator and food processing ministry is detrimental to the working of FSSAI.
  • FSSAI has not so far made regulations and guidelines for the various procedures.

Possible Way Ahead

• Bring manufacturing activities under the responsibility of providing food safety.
• Issue drafts of Regulations on Food Recall Procedure for guidelines to food business organisations.