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Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
Government body in India

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, responsible for regulating the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food articles to ensure food safety. Established by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI’s headquarters is in New Delhi with regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. It operates numerous laboratories including NABL-accredited ones. Headed by a chairperson appointed by the central government, it enforces provisions through Food Safety Officers. Since 2021, FSSAI offers perpetual licenses to food businesses conditional on annual filings, mandating license or registration for food manufacturers and sellers in India.

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History

FSSAI was established on 5 September 2008 under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which was operationalized in year 2006. The FSSAI consists of a chairperson and 22 members. The FSSAI is responsible for setting standards for food so that there is one body to deal with and no confusion in the minds of consumers, traders, manufacturers, and investors.1011 Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the Administrative Ministry of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.1213 The following are the statutory powers that the FSS Act, 2006 gives to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).14

  1. Framing of regulations to lay down food safety standards
  2. Laying down guidelines for accreditation of laboratories for food testing
  3. Providing scientific advice and technical support to the Central Government
  4. Contributing to the development of international technical standards in food
  5. Collecting and collating data regarding food consumption, contamination, emerging risks, etc.
  6. Disseminating information and promoting awareness about food safety and nutrition in India.

Location

FSSAI is located in 4 regions 15

  1. Northern Region – With regional office at Ghaziabad.
  2. Eastern Region - With regional office at Kolkata
  3. Western region - With regional office at Mumbai
  4. Southern Region - With regional office at Chennai

Regulatory framework

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS), 2006 is the primary law for the regulation of food products. This act also sets up the formulation and enforcement of food safety standards in India. The FSSAI appoints food safety authorities on the state level.16

The FSSAI functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.17 The main aim of FSSAI is to

  1. Lay down science-based standards for articles on food
  2. To regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution, import, and sale of food
  3. To facilitate the safety of food

The FSS Act is a bucket for all the older laws, rules and regulations for food safety. The FSS Act took 7 older acts into one umbrella.

  1. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 Archived 15 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine 18
  2. Fruit Products Order, 1955 Archived 6 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine 19
  3. Meat Food Products Order, 1973 20
  4. Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947 Archived 27 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1998 Archived 6 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine 21
  6. Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967 Archived 6 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine 22
  7. Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 Archived 6 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine.23

Departments24

  1. SCIENCE & STANDARDS DIVISION (I & II)
  2. REGULATIONS DIVISION
  3. QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION (I & II)
  4. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE DIVISION
  5. HUMAN RESOURCE & FINANCE DIVISION
  6. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY COORDINATION DIVISION
  7. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
  8. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE DIVISION
  9. TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION DIVISION
  10. TRAINING DIVISION
  11. RAJBHASHA

Research and quality assurance

Research

FSSAI has set certain guidelines for food safety research. The Research and Development division is responsible for research with the following objectives:

  1. Generate new knowledge that would help in continuously updating and upgrading food safety standards that are compatible with international organizations
  2. Carry out evidence-based studies for improving or building Rules and regulations.

Quality Assurance

FSSAI has been mandated to perform various functions related to the quality and standards of food and drinks . These functions in addition to others include "Laying down procedure and guidelines for notification of the accredited laboratories as per ISO17025."25 The FSSAI notified laboratories that are classified as:

  1. FSSAI Notified NABL Accredited Labs - 112 26
  2. State Labs - 72
  3. Referral Labs - 22 27

Standards

Standards framed by FSSAI are prescribed under Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation, 2011 and Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011.

The FSSAI has prescribed standards for the following:

  • Dairy products and analogues 28
  • Fats, oils and fat emulsions
  • ALL Pecked product
  • Fruits and vegetable products
  • Cereal and cereal products
  • Meat and meat products
  • Fish and fish products
  • Sweets & confectionery
  • Sweetening agents including honey
  • Salt, spices, condiments and related products
  • Beverages, (other than dairy and fruits & vegetables based)
  • Other food product and ingredients
  • Proprietary food
  • Irradiation of food
  • Fortification of staple foods i.e. vegetable oil, milk, salt, rice and wheat flour/maida29
  • Health Supplements/ Nutraceuticals

The development of standards is a dynamic process based on the latest developments in food science, food consumption pattern, new food products, and additives, changes in the processing technology leading to changed specifications, advancements in food analytical methods, and identification of new risks or other regulatory options.

Formulation of standards of any article of food under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, involves several stages. After consideration by the Food Authority, the draft standard is published (Draft notified), for inviting stakeholder comments. Since India is a signatory to the WTO-SPS Committee, Draft Standard is also notified in WTO. Thereafter, taking into account the comments received from the stakeholders, the Standard is finalized and notified in the Gazette of India, and implemented.30

Enforcement

Food Safety Officers are responsible for enforcing and executing the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 within their designated areas. The Commissioner of Food Safety and Designated Officer have the authority to exercise the same powers as Food Safety Officers.31

Food Safety Officers possess the right to enter and inspect any place where food articles are manufactured, stored, or exhibited for commercial purposes. They are authorized to collect samples for analysis by a Food Analyst. The authority of a Food Safety Officer to enter and inspect premises is equal to that of a police officer equipped with a search warrant under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).32 They can issue registrations to food business operators.33

Consumer outreach

Consumers can connect to FSSAI through various channels. A GAMA portal for concerns regarding misleading claims and advertisements too is operated.34

Applicable FSSAI License

FSSAI issues three types of license based on the nature of the food business and turnover:

  • Registration: For Turnover less than ₹12 Lakh
  • State License: For Turnover between ₹12 Lakh to ₹20 Crore
  • Central License: For Turnover above ₹20 Crore
  • Ecommerce License: For Online Seller

Other criteria like the location of the business, number of retail stores, etc. are needed while evaluating the nature of the license application.

Projects

In 2009 the FSSAI instigated a pilot project Safe Food, Tasty Food to improve the safety and quality of food being served at restaurants and other outlets, implementing agencies being local municipal authorities and industry associations (FICCI, CII, AIFPA and NRAI).35

State Food Safety Index (SFSI)

The State Food Safety Index (SFSI), was developed in 2018 in collaboration with the FSSAI. The SFSI was created to motivate the States and Union Territories to improve their performance and work towards establishing an appropriate food safety ecosystem.36

Reception

According to a survey conducted over 24,000 people across 293 districts of India, 73% of the 12,308 responses indicated little to no confidence in the effectiveness of agencies such as FSSAI and state food regulators in ensuring food safety.37

References

  1. "Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)". Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Government of India. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402003222/http://www.fssai.gov.in/AboutFssai/Introduction.aspx ↩

  2. Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 https://www.fssai.gov.in/dam/jcr:7f9fb43a-095c-4384-a0d8-be24f66ce7a3/FOOD-ACT.pdf ↩

  3. "Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)". Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Government of India. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402003222/http://www.fssai.gov.in/AboutFssai/Introduction.aspx ↩

  4. "Regional Laboratories". FSSAI. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120404183736/http://www.fssai.gov.in/reasional_ofice.aspx ↩

  5. "Referral Laboratories" (PDF). FSSAI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120424122557/http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/referral_laboratory(15-02-2012).pdf ↩

  6. "List of Laboratories". FSSAI. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120404181227/http://www.fssai.gov.in/lab.aspx ↩

  7. Section 5(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. ↩

  8. "Ganji Kamala V Rao Appointed as Chief Executive Officer at FSSAI". 27 December 2022. https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/ganji-kamala-v-rao-appointed-as-chief-executive-officer-at-fssai/ ↩

  9. Staff, HospiBiz (3 April 2021). "Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to grant perpetual licenses to restaurants | HOSPIBIZ". Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210618003356/https://hospibiz.com/fssai-to-grant-perpetual-licences-to-food-restaurants/ ↩

  10. "FAQ's on FSSA 2006" (PDF). Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160407140226/http://fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/FAQ.pdf ↩

  11. "FSSAI calls for EoI for nomination of a scientific committee and panels". FnBnews.com. 7 May 2016. http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/fssai-calls-for-eoi-for-nomination-of-a-scientific-committee-and-panels-38921 ↩

  12. "FSSAI to formulate new policies for food safety". IndiaToday. 18 February 2016. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/fssai-to-formulate-new-policies-for-food-safety/1/599086.html ↩

  13. "Drug & Food Division(FSSAI/CDSCO)". Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. http://mohfw.nic.in/index3.php?lang=1&level=0&deptid=75 ↩

  14. "Food safety in India - Regulatory framework and challenges" (PDF). swaniti.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161010223345/http://www.swaniti.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Food-safety-in-India-1.pdf ↩

  15. "List of Regional Directors". fssai.gov.in. Retrieved 23 August 2022. https://fssai.gov.in/cms/regionaldirectors.php ↩

  16. "Ministry of Law and Justice" (PDF). FSSAI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205616/http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/FOOD-ACT.pdf ↩

  17. "FSSAI to formulate new policies for food safety". India Today. 8 February 2016. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/fssai-to-formulate-new-policies-for-food-safety/1/599086.html ↩

  18. "The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954". India Kanoon. https://indiankanoon.org/doc/32969400/ ↩

  19. "Fruit Products Order, I 955" (PDF). Consumer Advice. 8 February 2016. http://www.consumeradvice.in/Regulations/fruitaidacts.pdf ↩

  20. "Meat Food Products Order, 1973". agmarknet.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202000812/http://agmarknet.nic.in/order1973.htm ↩

  21. "The Vegetable Oil Products (Regulation) Order – 1998". Crirec. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161012151625/http://www.crirec.com/2011/01/the-vegetable-oil-products-regulation-order-1998/ ↩

  22. "The Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998". Crirec. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180530104733/http://admis.hp.nic.in/ehimapurti/edib1998.htm ↩

  23. "Milk and Milk Product Order 1992". Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries. http://dahd.nic.in/related-links/milk-and-milk-product-order-1992 ↩

  24. "FSSAI". https://fssai.gov.in/cms/internal-administration.php ↩

  25. "Addresses and contact details of NABL accredited food testing laboratories for analysis of food sample taken under FSS Regulation-for 1 Year" (PDF). fssai.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044300/http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/Notified_LAB_LIST_Region_wise(23-05-2012).pdf ↩

  26. "FSSAI Notified NABL Accredited Food Testing Laboratories" (PDF). https://fssai.gov.in/upload/advisories/2021/12/61c1565c0a23bOrder_Validity_Labs_21_12_2021.pdf ↩

  27. "Food Safety and Standard Authority of India - Order" (PDF). https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/List_Referral_Laboratories_22_02_2021.pdf ↩

  28. "Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao". https://fssai.gov.in/cms/directory.php ↩

  29. FSSAI. "Fortification of staple foods" (PDF). https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Gazette_Notification/Gazette_Notification_Pulses_Grains_Maize_14_08_2018.pdf ↩

  30. "FSSAI appoints new members for scientific panels". Nuffoods Spectrum. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150321094656/http://www.nuffoodsspectrum.in/inner_view_single_details.php?page=&content_type=panel&vrtcl_panel_nm=People&ele_id=NOR_54ddc493c6fb54.77406831 ↩

  31. "Section 29. Authorities responsible for enforcement of Act". Indiacode.nic.in. Retrieved 19 November 2023. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/show-data?actid=AC_CEN_39_65_00002_200634_1517807326101&orderno=29 ↩

  32. "Section 38. Powers of Food Safety Officer". Indiacode.nic.in. Retrieved 19 November 2023. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/show-data?actid=AC_CEN_39_65_00002_200634_1517807326101&orderno=38 ↩

  33. "Chapter 4 - Food Safety Officer" (PDF). FSSAI. Retrieved 19 November 2023. https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Chapter4.pdf ↩

  34. "Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements". gama.gov.in. http://gama.gov.in/Default.aspx ↩

  35. "Pilot Project on: Safe Food, Tasty Food" (PDF). 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20220304001050/https://qcin.org/PDF/TFSF/safe-food-scheme1.pdf ↩

  36. "State Food Safety Index". FSSAI. https://www.fssai.gov.in/cms/foodsafetyindex.php ↩

  37. "72% Indians concerned about spices they consume, express low or no confidence on food regulators like FSSAI". Business Today (in Hindi). 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024. https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/72-indians-concerned-about-spices-they-consume-express-low-or-no-confidence-on-food-regulators-like-fssai-426821-2024-04-25 ↩