Food Safety and Standards Act come into force from 5 August
The Act will ensure improved quality of food for
the consumers making it at par with the international standards
The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 came into force from Friday
across the country.
The Act will ensure improved quality of food for the consumers making it
at par with the international standards. It will also censure misleading claims
and advertisement by those in food business.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), established
under the Act, will lay down science based standards for food items and
regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure
availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Removing the multiplicity of authorities, the FSSAI will broadly frame
regulations to lay down the standards and guidelines for food items. It will
also specify mechanisms for accreditation of certified bodies engaged in
certification of food safety management system for food businesses and
procedures for accreditation of laboratories.
Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 subsume various central Acts related
to Food and Adulteration. India thus joins a group of advanced nations in
adopting an integrated food law in line with international best practices.
Now the bigger challenge before the government is to upgrade the 72-odd
food testing laboratories at the State level. At present these labs are inadequate
for the modern requirements particularly in the wake of India being a signatory
in the World Trade Organisation.
The Authority has proposed to grant Rs 5 crore rupees each for the strengthening of laboratories
under the 12th Five Year Plan.