New laws for foods sector

A liberal enforcement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime in India may open up new markets for exporters, but non-tariff barriers in form of regulations may become more stringent than ever.

According to Anil Jauhri, advisor, Quality Council of India, 60 per cent of the non-tariff barriers in the WTO relate to safety and quality issues.

The international trade in food sector, governed by the agreement in the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) agreement allows WTO member nations to impose standards to protect the health of "their human population and regards international standards and guidelines as not barriers to trade."

"Contrary to the myth that WTO is a free trade organisation with no controls, there are provisions that the governments can impose," said Jauhri at a seminar on food regulations and voluntary certifications, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in Kolkata on Friday.

Differential standards for food products in international and domestic markets were unethical and this necessitated the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, S K Saxena, joint director, EIA-Kolkata, said the relevance of compulsory licensing of food product exports from India has increased over the years, with stringent food safety laws in the US and the EU.

Food safety law was equally applicable for big and small enterprises, said Arti Gupta, research associate, confederation of Indian food trade and industry.

Once the new Food Safety Standards act replaced the old legislations, many state-run accredited laboratories will lose their significance, as the act recognised food testing only by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) laboratories.