FSSAI to frame norms for product approval in 6 mths

FSSAI is looking to streamline the product approval process and has invited legal firms to help frame it

After scrapping product approval process following court orders, including the Maggi case, food safety regulator FSSAI has invited legal firms to help frame new norms for approvals.

According to sources, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is looking to streamline the product approval process and is expected to come up with new regulations within 6 months, which will be sent to the Law Ministry for its opinion.

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"In the light of recent judgments of various courts relating to food safety, FSSAI has decided to engage legal assistance for formulation of Regulations on an urgent basis to govern (i) product approvals, (ii) imports, and (iii) procedures of issuing guidelines and administrative instructions," the regulator said in a circular.

Only those legal firms/lawyers, who are not involved in litigation against the FSSAI in any manner may apply, it said.

"The successful legal firm/lawyer would have to undertake to not enter into any litigation/ legal advice against FSSAI, directly or indirectly, on food related matters at least for a period of five years from the date of notification of such regulations," it added.

FSSAI has done away with the process of product approvals saying it is no longer possible to continue with it in view of the Supreme court order dated August 19.

Every endeavor will be made to expedite the regulations governing Section 22 products, it said.

FSSAI has been issuing advisories for food products wherein the quality standards for their ingredients were not mentioned in the Section 22 of the the Food Safety Standards Act 2006.

Upholding the Bombay High Court order, the Supreme Court on August 19 had quashed an advisory issued by FSSAI on the procedure for product approvals, following which the regulator had scrapped the product approval system.

In a separate case on August 13, the Bombay High Court had quashed the FSSAI order of banning the nine variants of Maggi noodles in the country after observing that principles of natural justice were not followed.

During the period between March and June this year, FSSAI had received 4,357 manual applications, of which less than one-fourth (1,047) were issued no objection certificates, 348 approvals were pending, while 551 were rejected.

The remaining 2,094 were closed for being non-responsive.