Food recall norms catch companies off guard

Almost 85-90 per cent of a food company's sales in India comes via general trade, with 10-15 per cent coming from modern trade

Food companies have expressed their inability in implementing the food recall norms laid out by the country’s apex food regulator in the event a product is found defective. 

The norms, issued last month, put the entire onus of food recalls on companies, mandating the firms to take the primary responsibility of developing and implementing such plans.

The Food Safety & Standards Association of India (FSSAI) said it would only monitor the process and would conduct periodic checks, according to the guidelines. It also said that if the recall was related to serious defects in the manufacturing process, it could review the licence