Food safety Bill meets hurdles

The proposed Food Safety and Standards Bill, an ambitious piece of legislation that seeks to replace eight different food safety and adulteration laws, has met with some resistance from stake holders like food processing companies.

Their main grouse is that the draft Bill puts the entire onus of providing pesticide-free food and using pure water solely on the manufacturers.

"The Bill does not require any specific standards for potable water, usually provided by local authorities. It is the responsibility of the person preparing or manufacturing food to ensure that he uses water of proper quality, even when tap water does not meet the required safety standards," said Director Parliamentary Research Service CV Madhukar.

The Bill also does not require food business operators to inform consumers about products which are being recalled from the market in case of contamination, even when some of the products have already been sold.

Though the unorganised sector is also covered under the same Bill, experts feel that a standard Rs 1 lakh fine on both petty manufacturers who make their own food and food-processing companies for violating specified standards can prove to be counter-productive.

"While it may be ineffective for large companies, the fine can cripple the unorganised sector and small scale enterprises," said an expert.

The Bill, which will establish a 19-member Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) to regulate the sector, gives the power to suspend the licence of any food operator to a local level officer.

Food processing companies are asking this to be modified as the current mechanism offers scope for harassment and corruption.

"The Bill, which prohibits the use of pesticides and antibiotic residues, excludes plants prior to harvesting and animal feed from its purview. This ensures that it does not control the entry of pesticides and antibiotics into the food at its source," added Madhulkar.

Under the integrated Bill every packaged food product has to be labeled as per regulations in the Bill. But the Bill does not specify details about labelling, and leaves it to the regulations which will be issued by the FSSA.

The Bill has been referred to the standing committee on agriculture which is scheduled to submit its report in the next Budget session.