Food Safety Audits by FSSAI

Ø  FSSAI Conducts Over 56,000 Risk-Based Inspections in Three Years to Strengthen Food Safety Oversight; Over 5.18 Lakh Enforcement Food Samples Analysed Across States/UTs

Ø  Food Safety Oversight with Mandatory Audits, Expanded Testing Infrastructure, and Stricter Enforcement

Ø  FSSAI Expands Food Safety Ecosystem with 252 Testing Labs, Mobile Food Testing Units, and Mandatory Third-Party Audits

Ø  Stronger Food Safety Framework Introduced to Improve Labelling Transparency, Monitor Cooking Oil Use, and Protect Consumers

Oversight & Enforcement

·         Risk-Based Inspections (RBIS):

o    2022–23: 11,904

o    2023–24: 18,098

o    2024–25: 26,267

o    Total: Over 56,000 inspections in 3 years.

·         Food Samples Analysed: More than 5.18 lakh enforcement samples tested across States/UTs.

·         Actions Taken: Improvement notices, penalties, suspension/cancellation of licenses, prosecutions under FSS Act, 2006.

Infrastructure Expansion

·         Testing Labs: 252 food testing labs + 24 referral labs.

·         Mobile Food Testing Units (FSW): 305 deployed across 35 States/UTs for on-spot adulteration checks.

·         Workforce: 2,997 Food Safety Officers (FSOs) and 668 Designated Officers (DOs).

Compliance & Transparency

·         Mandatory Third-Party Audits: Annual audits for all Central License holders.

·         Labelling & Display Regulations (2020): Clear, transparent labelling to enhance consumer awareness.

o    Records of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) disposal mandatory for FBOs consuming >50 litres/day.

o    Oils with Total Polar Compounds >25% prohibited for use.

Consumer Protection

·         Grievance Redressal Channels:

o    Online portal: foscos.fssai.gov.in/consumergrievance

o    Email: helpdesk-foscos@fssai.gov.in / compliance@fssai.gov.in

o    Toll-free helpline: 1800-11-2100

·         Awareness Initiatives: Eat Right Campus, Eat Right School campaigns.

Key Impact

·         Expanded food safety ecosystem with labs, mobile testing, and stricter enforcement.

·         Improved consumer protection through transparency in labelling and monitoring of cooking oil use.

·         Enhanced accountability with risk-based inspections and mandatory audits.

India is building a robust food safety framework, combining science-based standards, enforcement, infrastructure, and consumer empowerment to ensure safe and wholesome food nationwide.

 

[ABS News Service/14.03.2026]

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments.

While the FSSAI, is responsible for laying down science-based standards and ensuring overall coordination, the State Food Safety Authorities are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level. Designated officers (DOs) and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) under the Commissioner of Food Safety in the States/UTs are entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of FSS Act, 2006. State/UT-wise details of Enforcement Samples analysed, found non-conforming and penal action taken during last three years are attached at Annexure.

FSSAI has developed Risk Based Inspection System (RBIS) where frequency of inspection is decided based on risk associated with Food businesses and issued guidelines. Annual inspections are to be conducted for all food categories identified as high risk. The details of risk-based inspections carried out are as follows:

Financial Year

Total Risk-based Inspection conducted

2022-23

11904

2023-24

18098

2024-25

26267

Furthermore, all the Food Business Operators (FBOs) (general manufacturing) holding the Central License have to undergo the Third Party Audit from FSSAI empanelled agencies once a year.

FSSAI extends financial and technical assistance to States/UTs for strengthening food safety infrastructure in the country. The support includes the following:

·         Strengthening Enforcement and Compliance, such as Licensing and Registration

·         Inspections and Audits, Sampling and Testing of Enforcement and Surveillance Samples

·         Consumer Grievance Redressal

·         Capacity Building for Officers.

·         Strengthening of the Food Testing Ecosystem, such as High-End/ Basic equipment for labs

·         Promotion of FSSAI initiatives such as Eat Right Campus, Eat Right School

·         Flexi Assistance, such as Hiring of vehicles for undertaking inspection and sampling by FSOs and DOs

In the States/UTs, 2,997 Food Safety Officers and 668 Designated Officers are working.

Appropriate punitive actions have been taken, in accordance with the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006, against non-compliant Food Business Operators (FBOs). This includes issuance of Improvement Notices under Section 32 of the Act, followed by further action, such as suspension or cancellation of the license in cases of non-compliance. In addition, actions such as penalties, adjudication proceedings, or prosecution have been taken under the relevant provisions of the Act, depending upon the nature and gravity of the violation detected during inspection.

Additionally, FSSAI has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which focus on ensuring transparency, accuracy, and consumer awareness. These regulations mandate clear and detailed labelling and display requirements for food products.

In order to restrict used cooking oil, FSSAI mandates FBO to maintain a record of UCO disposal if edible oil consumption for frying is more than 50 litres per day. Also, FSSAI, vide Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2017 has inserted the provision that “vegetable oil having developed Total Polar Compound more than 25% shall not be used”.

To strengthen the food regulatory ecosystem in the country, FSSAI has notified 252 food testing laboratories for analysis of food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the analysis of appellate samples. FSSAI has also provided funds for Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) referred to as “Food Safety on wheels” (FSW) to States/UTs. It is an important means to combat adulteration as FSWs are equipped with basic infrastructure for on-spot testing of adulteration in various food commodities. Currently, 305 FSWs are deployed across 35 States/UTs.

Further, for any food safety-related grievances, consumers/citizens can lodge a complaint/ grievance against the Food Business Operator on https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/consumergrievance/. Grievances may also be submitted via email at helpdesk-foscos@fssai.gov.in or compliance@fssai.gov.in or through the toll-free helpline 1800-11-2100.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 13 March, 2026.

 

Annexure

State/UT wise details of Enforcement Samples analysed, found non-conforming and penal action taken during last 03 years

 

 

(2024-2025)

(2023-2024)

(2022-2023)

S. No.

State/UT

No. of Samples Analysed

Civil Cases

Criminal Cases

Cancelled License

No. of Samples Analysed

Civil Cases

Criminal Cases

Cancelled License

No. of Samples Analysed

Civil Cases

Criminal Cases

Cancelled License

 

 

 

Decided with Penalty

No. of Convictions

 

 

Decided with Penalty

No. of Convictions

 

 

Decided with Penalty

No. of Convictions

 

1

Andaman And Nicobar Islands

810

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1200

58

0

0

2

Andhra Pradesh

5984

464

8

15

6439

646

8

40

3607

339

12

64

3

Arunachal Pradesh

125

7

0

5

501

2

0

25

258

0

0

20

4

Assam

1705

0

0

19

1139

0

0

0

602

0

0

0

5

Bihar

2863

25

0

7

2806

79

0

10

2935

39

0

10

6

Chandigarh

374

116

41

5

311

87

52

1

473

27

8

4

7

Chhattisgarh

2069

143

6

1

1373

86

2

0

1468

119

8

0

8

Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu

56

0

0

0

185

0

0

0

164

13

0

0

9

Delhi

2624

18

16

1

3412

36

12

1

3133

86

10

0

10

Goa

1172

11

0

0

599

17

0

1

699

11

0

4

11

Gujarat

12387

859

91

8

15841

1701

65

7

14562

547

24

15

12

Haryana

2233

599

59

20

3485

593

47

15

4445

915

35

25

13

Himachal Pradesh

1587

471

0

3

1618

376

2

6

2720

93

1

9

14

Jammu & Kashmir

6955

1,239

29

17

9057

1612

22

19

13502

1592

15

42

15

Jharkhand

364

52

0

1

384

59

0

2

943

44

8

1

16

Karnataka

9371

283

32

34

5492

75

16

50

3416

191

15

56

17

Kerala

10767

1,088

206

40

10792

854

134

137

8533

454

33

90

18

Ladakh

417

38

0

0

638

19

0

1

220

23

0

0

19

Lakshadweep

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

20

Madhya Pradesh

13920

2,597

22

3

13998

1938

46

10

12507

1908

71

22

21

Maharashtra

5403

1,147

0

9

5087

154

0

4

11077

198

5

17

22

Manipur

126

2

0

1

168

0

0

0

169

0

0

3

23

Meghalaya

388

0

0

0

123

0

0

0

409

0

0

0

24

Mizoram

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

140

0

0

0

25

Nagaland

223

0

0

0

138

3

0

1

109

0

0

1

26

Orissa

2282

27

0

2

2003

0

0

24

1368

47

0

40

27

Puducherry

173

0

0

0

31

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

28

Punjab

4131

333

8

1

6041

1204

102

0

8179

1404

5

1

29

Rajasthan

13840

3,114

30

2

18536

2181

12

0

13184

2435

4

1

30

Sikkim

254

0

0

0

231

0

0

0

279

4

0

0

31

Tamil Nadu

18071

1,536

492

7

18146

2195

478

36

24188

3714

678

47

32

Telangana

3347

125

0

1

6156

425

0

6

4809

315

0

9

33

Tripura

123

0

0

0

87

0

0

0

31

0

0

0

34

Uttar Pradesh

30380

14,920

215

16

27750

14627

163

9

30140

13148

251

50

35

Uttarakhand

1509

256

4

1

1998

332

0

1

1839

507

5

1

36

West Bengal

14502

672

6

0

5948

285

0

2

6203

233

0

0

 

Total

170535

30142

1265

220

170513

29586

1161

408

177511

28464

1188

533