Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is an autonomous 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. Rita Teotia is the current Chairperson for FSSAI and Shri Arun Singhal is the current Chief Executive Officer for FSSAI. The FSSAI has its headquarters at New Delhi. The authority also has 6 regional offices located in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai. 14 referral laboratories notified by FSSAI, 72 State/UT laboratories located throughout India and 112 laboratories are NABL accredited private laboratories notified by FSSAI.
History
FSSAI was established by Former Union Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss,Government of India on 5 August 2011 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.
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
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, 2006 is the primary law for 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 of food
To regulate manufacture, storage, distribution, import and sale of food
To facilitate 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.
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 which 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 quality and standards of food. 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-14
Standards
Standards framed by FSSAI are prescribed under Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011, Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 and Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. The FSSAI has prescribed standards for the following:
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, 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 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 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. is needed while evaluating the nature of license applicable.
