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Food safety scenario in India is on par with US & Europe
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Tuesday, 14 December, 2021, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Joshna Joseph
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FSSAI was established under Section 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, with the mandate of laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The Act aims at food safety as a national movement.
To meet this objective, it is necessary that FSSAI follows an inclusive approach by utilising the wisdom of all stakeholders in the country, that all relevant issues are discussed through a transparent consultative process and conflicting opinions reconciled on the basis of scientific evidence.
The decision of making food laws separately from the other laws was a landmark decision. These food laws have increased the safety of food that a consumer receives and these laws have also enhanced the growth of the food industry.
Before the FSSAI, food safety in India was divided into different Acts, the repealed Acts were as follows:
- 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 Order, 1967
- Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992
After the passing of the FSS bill, all these Acts were repealed and all the Food Safety, Food Laws and Regulations were gathered into one single Act, the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), was formed in January 2002, due to a decade of food safety issues and a lack of hope by the European public which led to a complete reconstruction of the European Union (EU), food safety system and policies. Establishment of the Food Safety Authority in Europe brought about a humongous change in the field of Food Safety Laws and Regulation. EFSA supports the role of scientific advice, data collection and analysis. EFSA has standardised the Food Regulation to avoid any confusions related to food safety laws and regulations.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, and the ensuing FSS Regulation of 2011, FSSAI is responsible for framing standards for food products and for food safety rules and regulation and to monitor their implementation in the country. Many food standards have been notified and many more are required to be framed and notified in order to streamline the system. The process of standardisation of food products has evolved over these years. The standards are, mainly based on scientific data and other factors relevant to the safety of food products for protecting the health of consumers. Several of the food standards have been drawn from provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.
However, there is an on-going demand for review of these standards taking into account the latest development in food science, food consumption pattern, new specifications, presence of new contaminants and toxins as well as use of new food additives and ingredients required by the producers and manufacturers. In the recent past, FSSAI also invited suggestions from the industry and a number of these were also received. Under Section 16(3)(m), of the FSS Act, 2006, it is also the responsibility of FSSAI to promote consistency with the relevant international standards. This would facilitate trade and ensure availability of safe food to the consumers. The standards and other guidance texts adopted by Codex Alimentarius Commission are the relevant international standards and are also the reference point within the framework of WTO. It is incumbent upon member nations to apply the national treatment clause,all imported foodstuff will be given a treatment equal to those applicable to the domestic producers, manufacturers and the market.
The FAO and WHO of the United Nations regularly encourage countries to harmonise their standards with those of the Codex so as to achieve global unification of food laws. While formulating and implementing a single unified standard is a stupendous task, one of the major concerns of the industry which needs to be addressed by the government while finalising the Food Safety and Standards Regulations is tuning in of international best practises with the domestic ground realities. Both the domestic and international industry is looking forward to FSSAI for the harmonisation of Indian food standards for all food categories with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) standards.
CAC is regarded as the world ‘Authority' on Food Standards (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standard Programme). Codex’s focused objectives of
(1) protecting consumers and
(2) facilitating trade are shared by member countries and its standards based on scientific evidence and risk analysis principles, are followed and/or adopted partially or in totality by countries around the world. The WTO in its Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement recognises the Codex standards as the global reference standards for consumers, food producers, processors, national food control agencies and all others involved in international food trade. The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade also encourage the international harmonisation of food standards. Codex standards have thus become the benchmarks against which national food control measures and regulations are evaluated under the relevant provisions of the WTO Agreements.
India is still developing in terms of food safety by following the best practises available internationally. Most of the food manufacturing countries dealing with exports have to follow the laws of the countries in which they are exporting, therefore food manufacturers who are exporters naturally have to follow Food Safety and Standards, strictly. India is still in a learning stage when it comes to following strict food safety measures. One of the successful food safety applications for street vendors is street foods of Kankaria lake, Ahmedabad where street food vendors strictly follow the food safety measures.
(The author is research and development manager at Soch Foods LLP)
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