Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India. FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
The FSSAI is headed by a non-executive chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. Shri Sudhansh Pant, IAS is the current chairperson for FSSAI and Shri Ganji Kamala V Rao, IAS is the current chief executive officer for FSSAI.
The FSSAI has its headquarters at New Delhi. The authority also has 4 regional offices located in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. 22 referral laboratories notified by FSSAI, 72 State/UT laboratories located throughout India and 112 laboratories are NABL accredited private laboratories notified by FSSAI.
In 2021, with the aim of benefitting industries involved in manufacturing, handling, packaging and selling of food items, FSSAI decided to grant perpetual licenses to restaurants and food manufacturers on the condition that they file their returns every year.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India License or Registration is required for any food business in India that manufactures, stores, transports, or distributes food. Depending on the size and nature of the company, FSSAI registration or license may be required.
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 & 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. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the Administrative Ministry of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The following are the statutory powers that the FSS Act, 2006 gives to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Framing of regulations to lay down food safety standards
Laying down guidelines for accreditation of laboratories for food testing
Providing scientific advice and technical support to the Central Government
Contributing to the development of international technical standards in food
Collecting and collating data regarding food consumption, contamination, emerging risks, etc.
Disseminating information and promoting awareness about food safety and nutrition in India.
Location
FSSAI is located in 4 regions
Northern Region – With head office at New Delhi.
Eastern Region - With regional office at Kolkata
Western region - With regional office at Mumbai
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.
The FSSAI functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The main aim of FSSAI is to
Lay down science-based standards for articles on food
To regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution, import, and sale of food
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.
Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
Fruit Products Order, 1955
Meat Food Products Order, 1973
Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1998
Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967
Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 .
Departments
SCIENCE & STANDARDS DIVISION (I & II)
REGULATIONS DIVISION
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION (I & II)
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE DIVISION
HUMAN RESOURCE & FINANCE DIVISION
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY COORDINATION DIVISION
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE DIVISION
TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION DIVISION
TRAINING DIVISION
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:
Generate new knowledge that would help in continuously updating and upgrading food safety standards that are compatible with international organizations
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." The FSSAI notified laboratories that are classified as:
FSSAI Notified NABL Accredited Labs - 112
State Labs - 72
Referral Labs - 22
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
Fats, oils and fat emulsions
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/maida
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.
Consumer outreach
Consumers can connect to FSSAI through various channels. A GAMA portal for concerns regarding misleading claims and advertisements too is operated.
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
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).
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.
See also
National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
References
External links
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Food safety organizations
Government agencies of India
Consumer protection in India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Food and drink in India
Food processing industry in India
Regulatory agencies of India