Subject: GS 2: Social Justice
Context: Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has run one of India’s most intensive state-level food safety crackdowns.
- The drive has crossed 1,100+ inspections, leading to licence suspensions, seizures, arrests, and FIRs across hotels, restaurants, dairies, bakeries, clubs, and food delivery dark stores.
IAS coaching
About Food Safety
- As per Section 3(1)(q) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the governing legislation for food regulation in India:
- “Food safety” means assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use.
Consequences of Decline in Food Safety Standard
- Public Health Risks: Contaminated and adulterated food causes food poisoning, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases, with children and elderly people particularly vulnerable.
- India ranked 15th globally in the rate of years of life lost due to foodborne diseases, despite an overall decline in the disease burden since 2000.
- Economic Losses: Unsafe food leads to product recalls, business losses, legal costs and loss of consumer confidence.
- Export & ‘Make in India’ Challenges: Non-compliance with international food standards can result in rejection or restriction of Indian food and agricultural exports.
- Example: In 2024, concerns over pesticide residues in Indian spice products led to action/review in markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, the US and the UK.
- Environmental Degradation: Excessive pesticide use and unsafe agricultural practices can cause soil and water contamination.
- Erosion of Consumer Trust: Food-safety violations and misleading claims such as “100% natural” or unsubstantiated health claims can quickly damage consumer confidence.
- Pressure on Healthcare & Productivity: Foodborne diseases increase the burden on public hospitals and healthcare expenditure.
Major Initiatives Taken by FSSAI to Ensure Food Safety
- Eat Right India Movement: A nationwide initiative based on “Eat Safe, Eat Healthy, Eat Sustainable” to transform India’s food ecosystem through regulation, capacity building and consumer awareness.
- Includes Eat Right School, Eat Right Campus, Eat Right Station, BHOG and Clean Street Food Hubs.
- FoSTaC – Food Safety Training & Certification: Trains and certifies Food Safety Supervisors (FSS) in food businesses.
- Promotes self-compliance, good hygiene practices and a food-safety culture among food handlers.
- BHOG – Blissful Hygienic Offering to God: Promotes safe and hygienic food practices at places of worship.
- Eat Right Station: Food vendors at railway stations are audited, trained and certified to improve the safety and quality of food served to passengers.
- Eat Right Campus: Promotes safe, healthy and sustainable food in universities, workplaces, hospitals and other institutions.
- Certification considers food safety, healthy diets, food-waste management and awareness.
- FoSCoS – Food Safety Compliance System: Provides a digital platform for food-business licensing and registration, helping bring food businesses under the regulatory framework.
|
Legal and Institutional Measures Governing Food Safety in India
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954: It was the first comprehensive central legislation in India aimed at tackling food adulteration.
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: The statutory and institutional framework in India for food adulteration is primarily governed by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- Shifted the approach from reactive adulteration control to a science-based, preventive system covering the entire food supply chain.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): The statutory authority established under the FSS Act to lay down food standards and regulate food safety.
- Supported by Scientific Panels and Scientific Committee that assess food risks and prescribe standards such as Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides, antibiotics and contaminants.
- Decentralised Enforcement: FSSAI sets the regulatory framework, while implementation is largely carried out by States and local authorities.
- Commissioner of Food Safety: Oversees implementation of food-safety provisions at the State level.
- Designated Officers (DOs): Serve at the district level, issue licences and take action against non-compliant food businesses.
- Food Safety Officers (FSOs): Conduct inspections, collect food samples and monitor compliance at the field level.
Global Best Practices in Food Safety
- Singapore – Risk-Based Food Safety: The SAFE (Safety Assurance for Food Establishments) Framework grades food establishments based on their food-safety track record and management systems, with higher-risk/poor-performing establishments facing more frequent inspections.
- European Union – Rapid Alert System: The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) enables member countries to share real-time information on food safety risks, allowing quick action, withdrawal and recalls of unsafe products.
- USA – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): The FDA’s preventive controls and HACCP-based approach focuses on identifying food hazards and controlling them before contamination reaches consumers, rather than relying only on end-product testing.
|
Click to Explore UPSC Offline Coaching
Way Forward: Strengthening India’s Food Safety Ecosystem
- Strengthen Testing Infrastructure: Expand modern food-testing laboratories, mobile testing units and rapid detection technologies, particularly in rural and high-risk areas.
- Financial Incentives for Compliance: Link verified food-safety performance with easier and cheaper credit for compliant MSMEs, turning food safety from merely a regulatory obligation into a business incentive.
- Simplify Regulations & Promote Compliance
- Make food-safety regulations simple, accessible and business-friendly, especially for MSMEs and small food businesses.
- Harness Technology for Preventive Food Safety: Use AI-based risk prediction, rapid testing, DNA barcoding and satellite-based risk mapping to identify contamination and adulteration before they reach consumers.
- Develop integrated real-time food-safety surveillance systems linking laboratories, regulators and food businesses.
- Empower Consumers & Promote Safe Practices: Strengthen public awareness, consumer helplines and grievance-redressal mechanisms.
- Make relevant inspection and compliance information accessible to consumers.
- Promote responsible agricultural practices, including judicious pesticide use, hygienic storage and better waste management, to prevent contamination at source.
- Align with Global Standards & Build Export Competitiveness: Continuously harmonise FSSAI standards with Codex Alimentarius while incorporating India-specific risk assessments.
22 Aug 2026
