Lok Sabha Question No. 1889 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-06
Subject: Monitoring Mechanism of Food and Food Products
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri G M Harish Balayogi

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1889 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH DECEMBER, 2024

## MONITORING MECHANISM OF FOOD AND FOOD PRODUCTS

## 1889. SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI:

- Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that majority of Indian spice brands have failed to meet the required safety standards in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the names of the companies and their associated products that have failed to meet the required safety standards; (b) the details of the parameters on which the above mentioned spices failed to meet the required safety standards, company-wise, with the associated products; (c) whether it is a fact that FSSAI has increased the Maximum residue limits (MRLs) for certain pesticides, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (d) whether the Government is planning to make Food Safety Standards more stringent in the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and (e) whether the Government has any plans to make the monitoring mechanism of food and
- food products more stringent, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) & (b): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is fully committed to ensure the availability of safe food products to the consumers across the country. Towards this, FSSAI through State/Union Territories and its Regional Offices conducts regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of various food products including milk to check compliance with the quality and safety parameters and other requirements as laid down under Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, and regulations made thereunder.

In cases where food samples are found to be non- conforming, penal action is taken against the defaulting Food Business Operators as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations. The details of unsafe and sub-standard samples found in spice samples analysed in last 2 years are as below:

|   Year |   Samples analysed |   Unsafe | Sub-standard   |
|--------|--------------------|----------|----------------|
|  11979 |                534 |      743 | 2022-23        |
|  11919 |                707 |      816 | 2023-24        |

(c) to (e): FSSAI has prescribed the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of pesticides on food commodities including spices under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011. Fixation of MRLs for food commodities is a dynamic process. Recently, FSSAI has issued a comprehensive (revised and new inclusion) draft notification for the MRLs of Pesticides for food commodities.

FSSAI formulates the country specific standards of food articles on the basis of risk assessment and scientific advice provided by the Scientific Panels and Scientific Committee constituted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. These standards are harmonized with internationally accepted Codex standards.

FSSAI has also come up with Risk Based Inspection System (RBIS), wherein the Food Businesses dealing in 9 High Risk Food categories (specified under the RBIS) are mandatorily required to undergo annual inspections. Further, a minimum sampling target of 25 samples per Food Safety Officer per month, has been fixed to prioritize enforcement activities

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