Food Safety

The food regulator has issued notices to more than a dozen companies over alleged misleading claims, branding and labelling violations, and hygiene-related complaints

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Sunday issued notices to eight food business operators for using misleading brand names, trade names and product claims in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The companies served notices include Emami Healthy & Tasty, Health Aid, Troovy, The Healthy Factory, Healthy Master, Healthy Choice, Plan B and Neuherbs. The regulator announced the notices through its official social media handles. Among the prominent names flagged is Emami Healthy & Tasty, the cooking oils arm of the Kolkata-based Emami Group. FSSAI said its trade name is "likely to mislead consumers and appears to be in contravention of applicable FSSAI regulations". Plan B, which markets its products as "plant based vegan", has drawn the regulator's attention for creating the impression that its products are vegan - without obtaining prior approval for vegan food endorsement in its FSSAI licence. The Healthy Factory's "Zero Maida Whole ...

Detailed diagrams specifying the logo, including size, placement, and colour standards, were provided in the notification to guide manufacturers

NIT Rourkela researchers develop FTIR and AI-based system to detect and quantify spice adulteration within seconds, offering faster and cost-effective food safety monitoring

Fact-check Friday: You've probably followed the five-second rule after dropping food; here's how bacteria transfer instantly, what factors matter, and why this popular rule may not protect you at all

India's food ecosystem is vast, diverse, and rapidly evolving - spanning everything from street vendors and small manufacturers to large-scale food processors and global exporters

Government has approved food safety reforms including deemed FSSAI registration for street vendors and perpetual validity for licences to simplify compliance for food businesses

Food safety authority FSSAI on Wednesday urged plant-based food manufacturers to adopt QR codes on product labels, saying existing labels are too small for consumers to read, as the regulator seeks to build trust in a rapidly growing sector. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chief Executive Officer Rajit Punhani, speaking at the 4th Plant-Based Foods Summit, said the authority was not looking to make QR codes mandatory, but wanted companies to voluntarily adopt the technology so younger consumers could scan and verify ingredient lists and nutritional content. "The label is too small, it's difficult to read and difficult to comprehend," Punhani said, adding that Gen Z consumers in particular could benefit from being able to scan codes to check daily nutritional requirements. Punhani acknowledged that the regulator faced conflicting pressures from the food industry and the medical community over the health merits of plant-based diets, and said misinformation on soci

Food adulteration is often reported across India, but safety lapses at ‌high-profile ​brands like McDonald's ​are rare

Restaurants, aggregators deploy AI detection tools as morphed photos of melted cakes, flies in food drive fraudulent claims

ORS is basically a medically formulated mixture of water, glucose, and essential electrolytes such as sodium and potassium

The food regulator has prohibited brands from using the term 'ORS' unless approved by the WHO, citing misleading labelling and over-the-counter misuse in the market

A Bengaluru-based team has discovered a coffee-inspired, affordable way to detect banned dyes and contaminants in food at trillionth levels, offering a breakthrough in low-cost food safety testing

A PwC India survey found over 80% of Indian consumers prioritise food safety, demanding clean labels, certifications, and sustainable choices while balancing cost concerns

Canning removes air and seals food, creating an oxygen-free environment that preserves it but also provides ideal conditions for bacteria C. botulinum to grow

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi will inaugurate a new chemical laboratory at the National Test House in Ghaziabad on September 10, as the country seeks to strengthen quality testing capabilities across various industries. The state-of-the-art facility will test packaged drinking water, natural mineral water, food packaging materials, and construction materials, including cement and metals, according to an official statement. The laboratory has received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards and holds approvals from the Bureau of Indian Standards, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and under the Fertilizer Control Order of 1985. Equipment includes atomic absorption spectrometers, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry systems, and high-performance liquid chromatography instruments to conduct sophisticated analyses across diverse sectors, the Food and Consumer ...

Rajit Punhani, a 1991-batch IAS officer, has taken charge as CEO of FSSAI as the regulator prepares to finalise new food labelling rules mandating display of key nutritional information

The app, according to FSSAI, enables consumers to lodge complaints regarding food safety and hygiene issues and report misleading claims on food products, among others

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday said there is no need to sell wheat from government stocks under the open market intervention scheme as supplies are adequate and prices stable. The government operates the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to regulate wheat supply and prices by selling surplus stocks from the central pool, managed by Food Corporation of India (FCI), directly to the market at preset reserve prices. "Adequate stocks are there. We have procured very healthy quantity. So there is adequate supply in the market. The prices are already stable. So there is no need of (wheat OMSS)," Chopra told reporters on the sidelines of an Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA) Global roundtable. India sold about 3 million tonne of wheat under OMSS during 2024-25 fiscal year ended March, compared with about 10.1 million tonne in 2023-24. The country's wheat production is estimated at a record 117.5 million tonne in 2024-25 crop year.

At the World Food India 2025 curtain raiser, Union Minister Chirag Paswan said regulatory bodies like FSSAI are key to ensuring safe, quality processed food in India