Food Safety
Enforcement
“Food Safety means assurance that food is acceptable for human
consumption according to its intended use”.
Enforcement means how an act is implemented for the welfare of society and promote awareness about food safety across all parts of the country. From that instance, one can
prevail that Food Safety Enforcement is an assortment of different parameters
like people, other resources, government authorities for implementation of the
FSS Act, 2006 at ground level to maintain and regulate food safety.
The concept of food safety
enforcement generally implies a combination of two main keynotes.
1.
Governing Structure of FSSAI
2. Food Enforcement
Authorities
Governing Structure of
FSSAI:
FSSAI
(Food Safety and Standard Authority of India) established under the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) on 05 Sept. 2008. The head office of the
Food Authority is at Delhi. The Food Authority may establish its offices at any
other places in India.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in
association with State Food Authorities are responsible for the implementation
& enforcement of FSSA, 2006.
The administration
of FSSAI is according to Section 4, as specified in the FSSA, 2006. It is also
known as Apex Food Authority in India. FSSAI acts as a single reference point for
all matters related to food safety and standards, rules, regulations in the
country. In today’s blog, we are trying to cover the detailed information of the governing structure of FSSAI.
Composition of FSSAI:
Food Authority mainly
consists of one chairperson and 22 members. Out of which 1/3rd seats
are reserved for women. The different members in the composition of FSSAI have included the following members.
a)
7 members: They
represent different Ministries such as Agriculture, Commerce, Consumer Affairs,
Food Processing, Health, Legislative Affairs, Small Scale Industry.
b)
2 members: Food
Industry.
c)
2 members: Consumer Organization.
d)
3 members: Eminent
Food Technologist
e)
5 members: Different
Zones
f)
2 members: Farmer’s
Organization
g)
1 member: Retailer’s
Organization.
Chairperson and Members:
The Chairperson or
Members of the Food Authority shall not hold any other office (except ex
officio). It means the persons who wish to appoint for the said position do not
hold any key position in the government bodies. The Central Government shall make a
reference to the selection committee for filling up the vacancy in the following
instances.
1. Within
two months from the date of occurrence of any vacancy by reason of death,
resignation or removal or chairperson or the members.
2. Three
months before completion of the term of office of the chairperson or any member
of the authority.
The selection committee shall finalize
the selection of the Chairperson and members of Food Authority within two
months from the date on which the reference is made to it. The selection The committee shall recommend a panel of two names for every vacancy referred to
it. The Chairperson and the members of the Food Authority can hold office for a
term of three years and eligible for re-appointment for a further period of
three years subject to a maximum age of 65 years for Chairperson and 62
years for members.
CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of FSSAI:
The CEO is appointed under section 9 of the
FSS Act, 2006. Following are some of the functions of CEO specified under
Section 10 of the act.
1.
The Chief Executive Officer shall be the legal representative of the Food Authority.
2.
Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for -
a.
The day to day
administration of the Food Authority.
b.
Implementation of the
work programmes and the decisions adopted by the Food Authority.
3.
Chief Executive officer shall submit the following activities on yearly basis to
the Food Authority:
a.
A general report
covering all activities of the Food Authority in the previous year.
b.
Programme of the
work
c.
Annual accounts for
the previous year
d.
Required budget for
the coming year.
4.
The CEO shall exercise the powers of the Commissioner
of Food Safety while dealing with matters of food safety.
5.
The CEO shall have administrative control over the officers and other employees
of the Food Authority.
6.
He should approve all financial expenditures of the Food Authority.
7.
The CEO should be forwarding the general report and the programs to the Central
Government and State Government and publish them.
FSSAI
Structure:
The structure of the Food Authority is 3 tier structures. It includes three
important bodies to implement the act according to specified regulations.
The central Advisory committee is responsible for compliance and
inspection made under the FSS Act, 2006. The central Advisory committee is well
assisted by the state-level steering committee and district-level committee.
While the scientific committee and scientific panel are mainly
accountable with concern to the implication of food standards and
specifications under the act. The main aim of the food standards is to protect the consumer and facilitate international food trade. It mainly includes code of
conduct, code of hygiene, MRL of pesticides, etc. The diagrammatic
representation is shown below.
1. Central Advisory
Committee:
Central Advisory Committee shall consist
of:
1. Two members each represent the
interests of the food industry, agriculture, consumers, relevant research bodies, and food laboratories.
2. All Commissioners of Food Safety
3.
Chairperson of the Scientific Committee.
The Chief Executive Officer
of FSSAI shall be the chairperson of the Central Advisory Committee. The Chief
Executive of FSSAI is also known as Commissioner of Food Safety. It shall
follow rules and regulations specifies by the act. It was established on 6th
Oct 2009.
Functions of the Central Advisory Committee:
Ensure
close co-operation between the Food Authority and the enforcement agencies
operating in the field of food.
It
shall advise the Food Authority on:
·
Drawing up proposals
for the Food Authorities work program.
·
On the prioritization
of work.
·
Identifying
potential risks.
·
Pooling Knowledge.
· It shall meet
regularly at the invitation of the Chairperson or at the request of at least
one-third of its members, and meet not less than three times in a year
2. Scientific Panel:
A scientific panel is typically a group of independent scientific
experts. The Food Authority may from time to time reconstitute the Scientific
Panel by adding new members or by omitting existing members.
The Food Authority has constituted new 06
Scientific Panels and hence total scientific panels are 19 and valid for a three-year term from 01 Jan. 2020 to Dec. 31, 2022, as per the provision made under
Section 15 of FSSA, 2006. It is consisting of independent scientific experts
from the following:
1. Food Additives,
Flavouring & contact material.
2. Pesticide residues.
3. Genetically modified
organisms and foods.
4. Functional food,
Nutraceuticals & similar products.
5. Biological hazards
6. Contaminants in the
food chain
7. Labelling claims and
Advertisements
8. Method of sampling and
analysis.
9. Fish and Fish Products
10. Milk and Milk Products
11. Meat and Meat Products
including poultry.
12. Cereals, pulses,
legumes including bakery
13. Fruits and vegetables
14. Oils and Fats
15. Sweets, confectionary,
sugar, honey water, including a flavored and non-alcoholic beverage
16. Nutrition and
fortification
17. Antibiotic residues
18. Spices and condiments
and packaging
19. Alcoholic beverages
3. Scientific Committee:
The Scientific Committee
consists of the Chairperson of the Scientific Panel and Six independent experts
not belonging to any of the Scientific Panel. It is responsible for providing scientific opinions to the Food Authority. It shall have the powers of
organizing public hearings.
Scientific Committee shall
provide opinion on multi-sector issues of more than one Scientific Panel. Scientific
Committee and Scientific Panel both shall choose the Chairperson among their
members.
Currently, there are 17
scientific committees and two added recently along with one scientific the committee all sums up to 20.
Duties and Functions of Food Authority:
All duties and functions
of FSSAI are included in section 16 of the act. The following are the different
functions performed by the Food Authority.
1.
To regulate and monitor the manufacture, processing, sale of food to ensure safe
food.
2.
The Food Authority specify
·
The standards and
guidelines related to articles of food.
·
Limit for use of
food additives, pesticide residue, heavy metals, crop contaminants & food
irradiation.
·
Guidelines for
accreditation of Laboratory.
·
Sampling methods,
analysis and exchange of information among enforcement authorities.
·
Food Labelling
standards including claims on health, nutrition, and others.
3.
Food Authority shall also
·
Provide scientifically
advice and technical support to central and state government to have food
safety.
·
Search, collect,
analyze and summarize the data related to food consumption and exposure of
individuals to risks, biological risks, contaminants in food and introduction
to a rapid alert system.
·
To promote
consistency between international technical standards & domestic standards.
·
Contribute to the
development of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards.
·
Promote awareness
related to food safety and food standards.
4.
Food Authority shall make it to the public about
·
Opinion of
Scientific Committee and Scientific Panel
·
The results of the
scientific studies.
5.
Food Authority shall give some directions to the Commissioner of Food Safety for
his power under the act.
6. Food Authority should
not disclose third party confidential information.
Reference Video:
Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDul7uf7pcbM_kWCEaA9WvA
Work Division of
FSSAI:
FSSAI
works through 11 different divisions or departments.
1.
Import Division
2.
Eat Right India
Movement
3.
International
Co-operation
4.
Regulatory
Compliance Division (RCD)
5.
Food Safety
Management System (FSMS) Division
6.
Risk Assessment and
R&D division (RARD)
7.
Information
Education Communication (IEC) Division
8.
Regulation and Codex
Division
9.
Quality Assurance/
lab Division
10.
HR Division
11. Standards Division
