GENESIS & IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARD ACT

(FSSAI) IN INDIA

Dr. Dinesh Kumar

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi

Food Control System of India

National Food Control System

Internal Market External Market

(Domestic + Imports) (Exports)

Food Safety & Standards Authority of India Export Inspection Council

About FSSAI

 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a

statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
Government of India.
 FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and
Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidated statute to ensure
food safety in the country.
Objective of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

(FSSAI) has been established under Food Safety and
Standard (FSS) Act,2006.
 Statutory body for laying down science based
standards.
Food articles and regulating manufacturing, processing,
distribution, sale.
Import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome
food for human consumption.
Salient Features of FSS Act, 2006

•Movement from multi-level and multi-department control to a single line of

command.
•FSSAI is a single reference point for all matters relating to Food Safety and
Standards, Regulations and Enforcement.
•Achieve high degree of consumer confidence in quality & safety of food .
•Investors friendly regulatory mechanism with emphasis on self regulations and
capacity building.
• Emphasis on gradual shift from regulatory regime to self compliance through
Food Safety Management System.
•Consistency between domestic and international food policy measures without
reducing safeguards to public health and consumer protection.
 Overview of Scientific structure of Food Authority
 The major scientific arms of the Food Authority are the Scientific Committee & Scientific Panels.
 Both these bodies provide necessary scientific opinion and assist in development of standards through
a well-defined process.
 In addition to these two statutory scientific entities, the Food Authority has also established some
non- statutory bodies which interface with the SC and SPs.
Road Map
FSS ACT INTEGRATION
Broad Activities of FSSAI
 LAB INFRASTRUCTURE
FSSAI notified NABL accredited Labs

Food Labs Referral

for Primary Analysis of Food items/ for Retesting of Food items/
Articles Articles

• Recognition of NABL accredited lab in Bangladesh and Bhutan for avoiding re-testing of import samples.
The test analysis certificate issued by them is accepted for food import clearance.
 Food Safety and Standards Regulations:
1. Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011
2. Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011
3. Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011
4. Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation, 2011
5. Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011
6. Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sampling Analysis) Regulation, 2011
7. Food Safety and Standards (Food or Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary
8. Food Safety and Standards (Food Recall Procedure) Regulation, 2017
9. Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulation, 2017
10. Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017.
11. Food Safety and Standards (Organic Food) Regulation, 2017.
12. Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018
13. Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018
14. Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2018
15. Food Safety and Standards ( Recognition and Notification of Laboratories) Regulations, 2018.
16. Food Safety and Standards ( Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
17. Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018

Regulations are available on FSSAI website on below mentioned link:

https://fssai.gov.in/home/fss-legislation/fss-regulations.html
Major Achievements
 Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011: Around 800 Food Product Standards,
9000+ Food additives provisions defining limits of over 350 food additives.
 New Regulations:
 FSS (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022
 FSS (Vegan Foods) Amendment Regulations, 2022
 Regulations/Amendments Under-Process:
 FSS (Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations, 2022
 FSS (Labelling & Display) Amendment Regulations, 2022 related to Front of Pack Nutritional
Labelling (FOPNL) and High fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) etc.
 FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical
Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2022
 Revision of Non-specified Food & Food Ingredients Regulations, 2017
 FSS Packaging Regulations, 2018