Lok Sabha Question No. 2979 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-13
Subject: Quality Assurance in FPI
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Tejpratap Singh,Yadav, ANJU BALA, B. SREERAMULU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2979

ANSWERED ON 13 TH  MARCH, 2018

## QUALITY ASSURANCE IN FPI

## 2979. SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

Will the MINISTER OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India is lagging far behind in matching global standards of food safety and quality and if so, the details thereof and the Government's reaction thereto;
- (b) whether there is lack of world class food testing laboratories in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the Government's reaction thereto;
- (c) whether there is a need for sustained campaign to educate consumers and promote quality assurance in Food Processing industries and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government thereon;
- (d) whether there has been slow progress of operationalisation of Memorandum  of Understandings (MOUs) signed for setting up food processing projects in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the Government's reaction thereto; and
- (e) other corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard, so far?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a) India has robust standards setting mechanism under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made therein. As on date, more than 11000 food standards and additives provisions have been notified which are globally benchmarked and made effective after considering food  standards  of  developed/developing  countries  and  harmonisation  with  Codex  Standards.  Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has also globally benchmarked safe food practices that  include  developing  Manuals  for  Food  Safety  Management  Systems  (FSMS),  setting  up  third party audits and Indian Certification for hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and General Hygienic Practices (GHP).
- (b) Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  notifies  only  those  food  testing laboratories which are compliant to ISO 17025, which is an international standard for accreditation of testing laboratories. As on date FSSAI has notified 161 ISO:17025 accredited food laboratories and 16 ISO:17025 accredited referral laboratories in the country under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Further, a Central Sector Scheme for 'Strengthening of Food Testing System in the Country Including Provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs' has been rolled out by the FSSAI with an outlay of Rs. 481.95 Crore for the period from 2016-17 to 2018-19.  One of the major components of the scheme is capacity building of food testing laboratories. The ultimate objective of this component is to ensure that all the State Food testing laboratories attain the NABL accreditation and bring them at par with international standards.

Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries,  under  the  Scheme  for  Food  Safety  and  Quality Assurance Infrastructure provides financial assistance in the form of Grant - in - aid for Setting up / Up gradation of Food Testing Laboratories with the aim to have a network of laboratories to help in implementing the quality  regime  for  processed  food  and  also  to  help  in  better  enforcement  of  the Food  Safety  regulatory  activities.  Under  the  Scheme,  Central/State  Government  organizations/ Government universities (including deemed universities) and all other implementing agencies/private sector organizations/universities (including deemed universities) are eligible for grant-in-aid  as per the revised scheme guidelines w.e.f. 01.01.2017.

(c) FSSAI  has  launched  a  Safe  and  Nutritious  Food  (SNF)  campaign  covering  home,  school, workplace and eating out. Under this initiative, consumer education, awareness training and capacity building is the key focus.  Consumers are being made aware & educated about various aspects of food  safety  &  hygiene  through  various  communication  platforms,  print  and  outdoor  media campaigns, digital and social mela, documentary films, education booklets, staff at Fairs/Melas/Events and Mass awareness Campaigns.

Quality Assurance in food processing industries is being promoted through  various measures initiated  by  FSSAI  such  as  notifying    globally  benchmarked  Standards  and  additives  provisions, preparing guidance documents to assist food industries (especially the small and medium businesses) in implementing food hygiene and safety requirements  by providing  practical approaches which a business  should  adopt  to  ensure  food  safety  throughout  the  process  being  handled  by  them; introducing third party audit  of Food Business Operators ,  training of nearly 14,000 food handlers and food safety supervisors  on aspects of food safety and hygiene through 700 training programmes under Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme  etc,.

(d)  &  (e):    Memorandum  of  Understandings  (MOUs)  were  signed/announced  during  World  Food India 2017 with investment intent of around US Dollar 13.56 billion. The MOUs signed are meant for setting up food processing projects in different locations in India in the sub-sectors such as fruits and vegetables, packaged foods and confectionaries, Retail & e-commerce, Cold Chain, Warehousing and Logistics, Cereals and Oilseed processing, dairy, fisheries, poultry and meat and others.

Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  has  been  regularly  monitoring  the  progress  of  the MOUs signed during World Food India 2017 to facilitate early grounding /operationalisation of the projects  under  the  said  MOUs.  For  ensuring  continuous  monitoring  and  smooth  facilitation  of grounding of the projects, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has also made one MOU tracker with  the  assistance  of  Invest  India  under  Ministry  of  Commerce  and  Industry.  Hence,  as  of  now, progress  relating  to  operationalisation  of  the  projects  under  the  MOUs  is  moving  as  per  timeline planned.

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