FSSAI set to meet international regulators on food safety system

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, will hold a meeting with global food regulators, including G20 countries, on July 20-21.

The meeting is aimed at strengthening the food safety system and regulatory framework across the global food value chain, according to a report in the Mint.

According to the apex food regulator, the food safety and regulatory system in India needs to constantly evolve to counter the emerging food hazards, and pandemic scenarios.

An official said that the FSSAI is seeking participation of food regulators from around 60 countries, including G20 member countries.

"This is an opportunity to enable a common dialogue on food safety, food standards, risk assessment, analytical competence, labelling. Besides this, it will enable the food value chain stakeholders such as government, food manufacturers, processors, exporters and importers to understand food safety and regulatory framework in other countries," the official added.

The meeting will include the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with countries such as the Netherlands, Australia, and Morocco on food safety measures.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food safety is a major determinant of health. The WHO stated that one in 10 people worldwide fall ill from eating contaminated food each year.

Unsafe food costs low- and middle-income countries approximately $110 billion each year in productivity and medical expenses.

According to the Food Service and Restaurant Business Report, 2022-23, India’s food service market is expected to reach $79.65 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.19 per cent from $41.1 billion in 2022.

The official said that the summit will help in understanding emerging challenges and define a way forward to ensure effective implementation of food safety, quality and regulatory norms,  according to the Mint report.

The FSSAI plans to launch the first-ever common digital platform — Food-o-Copoeia — an online guide prepared by any food authority in the world to capture all requirements related to quality, safety, labelling, claims, documents, regulations, and prohibitions for a specific food product.