Lok Sabha Question No. 3687 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Contact Numbers of Food Safety Officers
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Y. S. Avinash Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3687 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  MARCH, 2022

## CONTACT NUMBERS OF FOOD SAFETY OFFICERS

## 3687. SHRI Y.S. AVINASH REDDY:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has issued directions to States/UTs and Food Safety Commissioners to ensure that complaint numbers, phone numbers and e-mail IDs of the officials  concerned be displayed prominently outside every restaurant, eatery, provision store and other establishments dealing with food items;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  violations  noticed,  action  taken  and  penalties imposed thereon; and
- (c) the  measures  taken  to  create  awareness  among  the  people  regarding  the  ill  effects  of consuming  adulterated  food  and  their  right  to  lodge  complaints  with  the  food  safety officials?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  &  (b):  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  issued  directions  dated 12.11.2021, for operationalisation of the requirement for Restaurants/ Eating places to display Food Safety Display Boards (FSDBs) prominently in the premises. FSDBs are colour coded Boards which contain information about FSSAI License/ Registration number and basic good hygiene and sanitary practices to be followed by the food handlers in the premises to ensure safe  and  hygienic  food.  It  also  has  contact  details  of  FSSAI  and  Food  Business  Operator (FBO)  for sharing feedback or a complaint (if any).  Moreover, State Food  Safety Departments regularly conduct surveillance, sampling and enforcement drives to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food. Details of samples analysed, found non-conforming and action taken during the last two years are as below:-

| Year    | No. of Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples found non- conforming   | Action taken -Civil Cases   | Action taken -Civil Cases   | Action taken -Civil Cases   | Action taken-Criminal Cases   | Action taken-Criminal Cases   | Action taken-Criminal Cases   |
|---------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Year    | No. of Samples Analysed   | No. of Samples found non- conforming   | No. of Cases Launched       | No. of Cases decided        | No. of Convict ions         | No. of Cases Launch ed        | No. of Cases decided          | No. of Convictions            |
| 2019-20 | 118775                    | 29589                                  | 27412                       | 18192                       | 17345                       | 4681                          | 828                           | 780                           |
| 2020-21 | 107829                    | 28347                                  | 24195                       | 15878                       | 14817                       | 3869                          | 520                           | 506                           |

(c):  FSSAI  develops  and  disseminates  the  Guidance  notes  for  consumers  and  other stakeholders  to  address  common  concerns  around  food  adulteration  and  other  food  safety issues  and  dispel  food  related  misconceptions.  FSSAI  also  creates  consumer  awareness related to food safety, health and nutrition through regular updates shared through different social  media  platforms  like  Facebook,  Instagram,  Twitter  and  through  MyGov  platform. Documentary films explaining methods of detection of adulterants in commonly used foods and ill effects thereof have been developed and are available on FSSAI's YouTube channel. These  videos  are  also  shown  during  various  campaigns  and  events.  Similarly,  a  manual named  DART  (Detecting  Adulterants  with  Rapid  Testing)  has  been  developed  to  create awareness  in  consumers  about  food  adulteration  and  detection  methodology  for  use  at household  level.  This  has  been  disseminated  through  social  media  and  uploaded  on  the FSSAI website for general information and awareness of the public.

FSSAI has disseminated adequate information for consumer to be able to lodge/track food product related complaint/concern easily. The contact details of Food Safety Commissioners of all States/UTs are available at FSSAI's website for general information of public. FSSAI has dedicated Food Safety Connect App/Portal where any person can lodge food  safety  related  complaints/concerns.  States/UTs  have  help  desk/toll  free  numbers  for providing  assistance  in  filing  food  related  complaints/concerns.  Complaint/  concern  is directed  to  designated  officer  digitally  for  investigation  and  consumer  can  also  track  the status of the complaint/concern.

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