FSSAI needs to speed up framing food safety guidelines as more & more products fail safety tests

By: Sudipta Satpathy | | Updated: August 1, 2015 11:58 am

After the whole Nestle Maggi episode, there have been quite a few reports about food adulteration in India. Knorr, Top Ramen and a few products of Tata Starbucks were also suspended by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Three out of every four company are guilty of misbranding or selling adulterated food, according to reports. What s worse is these companies go unpunished for selling such products. Also Read - FSSAI launches 'Project Dhoop' to shift school assembly time to noon to ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in students through natural sunlight

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Starbucks, Kellogg s and McCain under the scanner, product approval rejected: Latest reports claim that the FSSAI has rejected product approval of Tata Starbucks, Kellogg’s and McCain due to lack of sufficient supporting documents for safety/risk assessment. 34 products of Starbucks including vanilla flavoured syrup, sea salt and red bean sauce and two products of Kelloggs Kellogg’s special K Red Berries and Kellogg’s special K Oats and Honey have all been rejected. And McCain s Battered Pepper and Cheese Bites was the only product to be rejected. FSSAI has rejected product approval applications of Tata Starbucks, Kellogg and McCain due to lack of sufficient supporting documents for safety/risk assessment, Minister of state for Health Shripad Naik said. Read: After Maggi scare, Starbucks suspends ingredients not approved by FSSAI Also Read - Indian government encouraging enrichment of food items with micronutrients to remove dietary deficiencies: Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare

The primary responsibility of the FSSAI is to lay down science-based food standards, make regulations, regulate imports and undertake coordination with states and Union Territories on food safety, according to the Ministry. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006 largely rests with states and Union Territories. Officials of the food safety department of the respective states and UTs have to ensure compliance of the FSS Act 2006, Rules and Regulations by conducting random inspections of premises and sampling of food items. If samples are found to be non-compliant, the action is taken as per the provisions of the FSS Act 2006 by the state authorities or the FSSAI. Read: After Maggi and Knorr, Top Ramen noodles pulled off the shelves

FSSAI gets three months to enforce food safety guidelines: The government was given three months to enforce guidelines on restricting the sale of junk food in and around schools by the Delhi High Court on Friday. The FSSAI received a three-month extension to frame the guidelines. The court passed an order on February 25 after accepting the draft guidelines for restriction on the sale of junk food in and around schools and directed the FSSAI to create regulations and implement them within three months.

In order to ensure that the guidelines are adhered to and any violation is actionable under Delhi Schools Education Act, the court had directed the administrator, Delhi to consider, by April 30, whether to issue instructions under the Delhi School Education Rules to follow the FSSAI guidelines. To ensure adherence by schools outside Delhi, most of which are affiliated to CBSE, the bench had also directed the Board to consider including compliance of the guidelines as a condition for being affiliated with it.

Under the guidelines, food high in fat, salt and sugar cannot be sold within 50 metres of school premises. The court s order came on a PIL filed by NGO Uday Foundation flagging the issue of easy availability of junk food and carbonated drinks to children and the harmful effects thereof and seeking a ban on such food items in schools in 2010. The FSSAI guidelines will apply to the whole of the country.

With inputs from PTI

Image source: Getty Images

Published : August 1, 2015 11:24 am | Updated:August 1, 2015 11:58 am

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