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India must follow Codex Alimentarius standards, says 8th NIS' chairman
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Monday, 18 March, 2013, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Abhitash Singh, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d In a panel discussion on Emerging India Food Regulatory Scenario: Role of Team India, held during the Eighth Nutra India Summit at Vivanta by Taj-President, one panelist said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has done a lot of work, but the regulatory process is not yet complete.
All the panelists discussed in detail the problems faced by the Indian regulatory body and the steps that should be taken to sort out the problems faced by the Indian food industry. They also discussed the role of India in updating the regulations.
V Prakash, chairman, 8th Nutra India Summit, and distinguished Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) scientist, and the chair of the panel, said, “India is a signatory to the Codex Alimentarius norms and we have to follow them.”
“We should go through a scientific system if new products come into the market. India is moving ahead, even developed countries do not have rules. But we went ahead and said we will do it. We are leading the race, but the path is not clear. We should make a Bill and follow it. It is not easy, but we should work towards it,” he added.
The panel comprised Hubb L M Lelieveld, president, Global Harmonisation Initiative (GHI), GHI Association; Kalpagam Polasa, director in-charge and head, Food and Drug Toxicology Reseach Centre, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR); D B A Narayana, former director, regulatory affairs, Unilever Research India; Prabodh Halde, head, regulatory, Marico Ltd; Padmaparna Dasgupta, head, policy, regulatory, R & D (strategy and external affairs), GSK Consumer Healthcare; P V Appaji, director general, Pharmexcil; Kumar Bhatia, former managing director, NSF, and advisor, ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI), Government of India; A G Appu Rao, emeritus scientist, department of studies in biochemistry, University of Mysore, and Murali Krishna Madhavapeddi, formerly of R&d, Du Pount, India.
Lelieveld said, “Many of the regulations are resources of science. The food safety issues are more complicated. Food is something we consume daily. A lot of work has been done by FSSAI but they are still not through the regulatory aspects. They need corrections in their regulations.”
Polasa said, “Our regulations are different from those of other populations. We should tailor-make a rule for India. We have to recheck, look at the data, experiments, in-house literature to make the food safety aspects consumer-friendly. The regulatory department is not so stringent. We never take both to find out the specific components present in foods, what kind of changes they will undergo if stored for a long time, or whether beverages are mixed with milk and other beverages. We just pick from other literature and put the nutritional value. There should be proper communication and consumers should know what they are eating.”
Dasgupta said, “FSSAI should frame guidelines for the company. They cannot copy it from Codex. We just need to harmonise. The industry must just submit their papers to FSSAI and then wait for the approvals. There should also be symbols, messages and communications in order to educate the population.”
Narayana said, “Why should FDA decide what we are eating? I will urge the regulatory body to allow innovation. How will the country progress if we are not open to innovation? Scientific, political and logical steps should be taken for the benefit of the country. Let science not define tradition. We just need the support of science.”
Halde said, “FSSAI is doing a marvellous job in framing the regulations. More than 3,000 applications are waiting for approvals for the last three to six months at FSSAI. We should not be in a hurry and deliberation, discussions and debates should take place for the innovation. Every country should come ahead and should be open to innovations.”
Prakash asked all those in the food industry to send inputs, matters and suggestions on infant foods either to FSSAI or to him.
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