Increase surveillance on food items to check adulteration: FSSAI to states

Food regulator FSSAI's CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao has asked states to increase surveillance and random sampling of food items to curb adulteration.

Rao also emphasised that in cases where the food samples are found to be non- conforming, the appropriate measures are required to be taken.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) "encouraged states/UTs to increase the regular surveillance, monitoring, inspections and random sampling of food products and their compliance with the laid down standards", according to a statement.

He made the remarks at the 39th Meeting of Central Advisory Committee (CAC) held under his chairmanship on March 9, 2023, at Panaji, Goa.

More than 60 officials, including Commissioners of Food Safety (CFS), representatives from states/UTs, senior officials from FSSAI and nodal ministries, and the members representing the Food Industry, Consumers, Agriculture, laboratories and research bodies attended the meeting.

The key discussion points of the meeting included doubling of the quarterly targets of surveillance sampling of food items to 30 and increase in quarterly inspection from 15 to 20, as per Food Safety Officer (FSO).

States/UTs have also been directed to ensure testing of 10 samples of milk per day by Food Safety on Wheel (FSW) available with them. A total of 168 FSW vans are available across the country for on-the-spot food testing.

"The states/UTs have been advised to plan their special surveillance drive considering the rise of adulteration cases of commonly consumed food products during the seasons like festivals, marriages, events etc," the statement said.

To ensure the quality and safety of milk and milk products, state/UT FDAs have been advised to coordinate with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying of their respective states/UTs for effective surveillance drive.

As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Food Authority constitutes the CAC for close cooperation between the authority and enforcement agencies/ organisations operating in the field of food.

The panel meets 3-4 times a year and advises the authority on various matters, including prioritisation of work, identifying potential risks and pooling of knowledge.

To strengthen the testing infrastructures in the country, FSSAI said that states/UTs have been advised to send proposals for setting up of labs and their upgradation to the authority for technical and financial assistance.