
Introduction
India has one of the strongest regulatory environments in the food sector, ensuring the safety and quality of products for its consumers. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FSSAI, is the apex regulatory body entrusted with safeguarding food safety and standards in India.
Key Food Laws and Regulations in India
This is the basis for the legislation dealing with food safety and standards in India. The goal is to make all foods completely safe and sound. In many aspects, it will address safety provisions, like no contamination. Among key provisions of the Act include:
- Food Safety and Standards Regulations: It framed some regulations for the huge scale of food items that will include milk and its milk products, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, processed foods, and packaged drinking water.
- Food Labelling Regulations: These regulations include the packaging of food products, declaration of ingredients, net quantity, date of manufacture, date of expiry, and nutritional information for packaged food products.
- Food Import Regulations: These regulations relates with importing food into India, which could include the obtaining of import licenses and following particular standards and testing procedures.
Other Relevant Regulations
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954: This act prevents adulteration in any food item and has also provided for penalties in case of such violations.
- Pesticide Residues in Food: FSSAI has established MRLs of many pesticides in food items so that safety is ensured on the consumer’s side.
- Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1986: It ensures accuracy in the measurement of food articles so that cheating is ruled out.
- Consumer Protection Act, 1986: This consumer protection act, 1986 protects the consumer against any form of unfair trade practice or defect in any product.
FSSAI Function on Food Safety
It offers food safety and quality assurance in India. The FSSAI conducts several key activities, which are as follows:
- The setting of Science-Based Standards: The FSSAI decides and enforces science-based standards for foods.
- Licensing and Registration: FSSAI provides licenses and registration to food business operators with an emphasis on their conformance to food safety standards.
- Clearing the Products: FSSAI allows the formulation of new food products and various admixtures.
- Surveillance and Inspection: FSSAI conducts surveillance and inspects food businesses in such a manner that the process takes place as per law.
- Consumer Education: The activities of FSSAI that the organization executes take consumer education for risk-free and hygienically consumed food.
- International Interface: FSSAI will ensure integration with international agencies on having uniformity of standard parameters with reference to food safety.
Read our blog: State FSSAI License Registration
Common Issues Faced by Indian Food Industry-
- Adulteration: Food product adulteration is still one of the significant concerns.
- Foodborne Diseases: Outbreaks of foodborne diseases are also still reported.
- Fake and Low-Quality Foods: These are still rampant in plenty.
To address such issues, FSSAI has been working on major areas in the following ways:
- Strengthening of the Regulatory Framework: Toughest regulations with utmost punishment.
- Improvement of Laboratory Infrastructure: Upgradation of laboratories with highest-end testing and analysis.
- Promotion of adoption of technology such as improvement traceability and food safety
- Education and awareness of the consumers about food safety and hygiene practices
- International coordination in the effective exchange of best practices and information with international Organizations.
Conclusion
Several emerging trends are pushing forward the future of food safety and regulation in India. Today, numerous food delivery services have focused more on food safety and hygiene practices, especially during transportation and storage time. Online food sales have become very popular over the past years and require more intense regulations and quality control standards. Organic and natural foods are also becoming popular these days with some form of regulations and certification standards followed.