FSSAI
Reconstitutes its Scientific Panels (SP) and Scientific Committee
·
“Scientific Committee and twenty-one Scientific
Panels are principal scientific arms of the food authority in the standard development
process”
·
“The committee will make way to notify food
standards and regulations”
FSSAI has reconstituted its Scientific
Panels (SP) and empanelled about 200 scientific experts from different scientific
organisations such as ICMR, CSIR, ICAR, NIFTEM, IIT’s and various institutes working
in the area of food safety and nutrition. These scientists will work with FSSAI
for next three years and suggest FSSAI about the scientific aspects of food safety.
This will further make way to notify food standards and regulations.
Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI) was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 for
laying down science-based standards for articles of food for ensuring availability
of safe and wholesome food for human consumption in the country.
The Scientific Committee and
the twenty-one Scientific Panels are principal scientific arms of the food authority
in the standard development process. FSSAI has reconstituted 21 Scientific Panels,
each comprising of 09 members and the Scientific Committee comprising of chair of
21 scientific panels & 06 independent members on 24.02.2023, which are operational
with effect from 01.03.2023.
The Scientific Panels are constituted
by the Food Authority under Section 13 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
(FSS Act) for the purpose of developing standards, and also to provide scientific
opinion/inputs to the food authority, as and when sought.
The Scientific Committee (SC)
is constituted by the food authority under Section 14 of the Food Safety and Standards
Act, 2006 (FSS Act) and is a body consisting of six independent experts (nominated
by the Food Authority and not belonging to any of the SPs) and Chairpersons of all
the SPs, as members. Currently, it has a strength of 27 Members. The SC, as a statutory
body, acts as the link between SPs and the Food Authority. SC mainly examines the
recommendations made by each of the panel and further recommends for approval by
the Food Authority. This is the highest body that is responsible for providing scientific
opinion to the Food Authority.
At the point of inception of
FSSAI, Food Authority commissioned only 8 SPs. Currently, there are a total of 21
SPs that comprise 11vertical and 10 horizontal panels.
Each of these SPs are numbered
for ease of co-ordination with different other bodies. All the vertical and horizontal
SPs are listed as:
List of Horizontal and Vertical
Scientific Panels
|
Horizontal
Panels |
|
|
SP-01 |
Food additives, Flavourings, Processing aids
& Materials in contact with food |
|
SP-02 |
Pesticides
Residues |
|
SP-03 |
Antibiotic
Residues |
|
SP-04 |
Genetically
Modified Organisms and Foods |
|
SP-06 |
Biological
Hazards |
|
SP-07 |
Contaminants
in the Food Chain |
|
SP-08 |
Labelling
and Claims/Advertisements |
|
SP-09 |
Method
of Sampling and Analysis |
|
SP-18 |
Nutrition
and Fortification |
|
SP-20 |
Packaging
|
|
Vertical
Panels |
|
|
SP-05 |
Functional
foods, Nutraceuticals, Dietetic Products and Other similar products |
|
SP-10 |
Fish
and Fisheries Products |
|
SP-11 |
Cereals,
Pulses & Legume and their products (including Bakery) |
|
SP-12 |
Fruits
& Vegetables and their products (including dried fruits and nuts) |
|
SP-13 |
Meat
& Meat Products, including poultry |
|
SP-14 |
Milk
& Milk Products |
|
SP-15 |
Oils
&Fats |
|
SP-16 |
Sweets,
Confectionery, Sweeteners Sugar &Honey |
|
SP-17 |
Water
(including flavoured water) & Beverages(non-alcoholic) |
|
SP-19
|
Spices
and Culinary Herbs |
|
SP-21 |
Alcoholic
Beverages |
The process of development of a standard is driven
by the principle of food safety and assessment of risks associated therein. A standard
could be of general nature that applies to all product categories, and are often
referred to as horizontal Standards. The horizontal standards prescribe safety requirements
of food products. These standards include food additives, contaminants, toxins,
antibiotic residues, pesticide residues, microbiological parameters, packaging and
labelling requirements. Similarly, the standards that are specific to a product
or a product category are referred to as vertical standards. The vertical standards
mainly prescribe identity and quality to a product/product category. The standard
development mainly involves SPs who deliberate and develop the base standard; and,
these are further validated by the SC before being finally approved by the Food
Authority.