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FSSA is a representation of GLP, GMP to make industry accountable: Experts
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Friday, 20 January, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Bangalore
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The food industry in the small-, medium- and large-scale segments will now need to gear up to adhere to the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006. This was pointed out at a seminar on Challenges on Effective Implementation of the New Food Safety and Standards Law: Consumer’s Perspective organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The Act is the representation of good laboratory practices (GLP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP), which are mandated in the production of food. It will help in preventing the scores of food poisoning cases in the country and will make the country’s food industry more accountable, according to experts present at the meet.
Elaborating further on the topic, Bejon Misra, international consumer expert and former member, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi, said, “The key to food safety is prevention at the source.”
He added, “Therefore it is vital to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import. There is need to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Further, there is a need to protect the consumer by ensuring compliance with food safety laws and regulations, given that the public’s well-being is the ultimate objective of a national food safety system to remind producers and processors of their responsibility to produce safe food and beverages. Initiate activities which demonstrate commitment and honesty towards the end-users of all food products and beverages.”
Some of the key concerns of the consumers are that they expect traceability to know the origin of the food and its path through the supply chain. Healthy food has raised a global alarm on additives and contaminants. This is where the government and private sector needs to share responsibility for supply chain management and ensure commitment to training and adoption of new technologies, states Misra.
In her address on the latest development in analytical procedures, Dr Lalitha R Gowda, chief scientist, & head, Food Safety & Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, said that the rise in food contaminants was alarming and industry should make efforts to test in-house or at accredited food labs to detect the same. “Advanced analytical procedures will help alleviate contamination crisis. All food precuts are targeted for adulteration are of high commercial value,” she said.
According to Udai Kumar Saxena, joint secretary, Association of Food Scientists and Technologies (AFSTI), Delhi chapter, and head, UK Solutions, the industry will need to have a practical understanding of the FSSA (licensing and registration of food business) effective from August 5, 2011.
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