Page 7 - Fssai

Govt amends food safety rules, only FSSAI nod mandatory for products

The government has approved various amendments in food safety and standard regulations, under which only one certification from food regulator FSSAI will be required for food products. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will issue a draft notification in this regard and will seek stakeholders' comments before finalising the amendments. For food products, certifications from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and AGMARK will not be needed if these amendments are finalised. In a statement, the Health Ministry said the FSSAI in its 43rd meeting approved various amendments to streamline food safety and standards regulations. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra. The ministry said that "only FSSAI certification would be mandatory for food products following finalisation of the amendments." The move would facilitate ease of doing business through the concept of One Nation, One Commodity, One Regulator'. "Various amend

FSSAI emphasises adoption of bio-pesticides in tea production

Food regulator FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao on Friday stressed on adoption of bio-pesticides to ensure safety and quality of tea production. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Rao addressed a gathering of tea growers and tea planters during an interactive session held on Friday in Kellyden, Assam. The event saw active participation from key stakeholders, including officials from FSSAI, the Tea Board, Tea Research Institute, tea planters, tea processors, industry associations and Food and Drug Department of the state, the regulator said in a statement. The focal point of the discussion was enhancing traceability and testing measures for raw materials, emphasising the need for screening every batch for pesticide residues and adherence to Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) of pesticides usage as prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011 (FSSR). "Rao emphasised the importance of adopting bio-pesticides and encouraged collaboration with the Tea .

FSSAI directs caterers of airline industry to comply with food safety rules

Food regulator FSSAI has asked airlines and flight caterers to comply with its food safety regulations and provide detailed information about items served to passengers through proper labelling. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) convened a meeting with leading flight caterers and airlines on January 16 to evaluate and enhance the existing food safety protocols within the airline catering industry, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday. The objective of the meeting was to identify areas requiring improvement and reinforce the commitment to providing passengers with safe and high-quality inflight meals. "Acknowledging a common concern regarding the lack of readily available information for passengers regarding inflight food, the CEO, FSSAI directed all flight caterers and airlines to strictly comply with sub-regulation 5(10) (f) and 8 (4) of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020," the statement said. This directive aim

Some Maharashtra distributors to stop stocking of HUL's Taj Mahal tea

AICPDF has also asked for a provision in the software system to prevent billing to outlets without valid FSSAI licenses

Delhi HC issues notice to authorities over sale of repackaged expired food

A division bench has filed a suo motu PIL over the sale of food products passed their expiry dates that are repackaged on sold, raising concerns on public health and safety

Testing of imported teas to intensify for compliance of FSSAI norms

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goya directed the FSSAI to step up testing

FSSAI issues show cause notice to IndiGo for serving 'unsafe food'

Food safety regulator FSSAI has issued a show cause notice to the country's largest airline IndiGo for serving unsafe food to a passenger, days after a worm was found in a sandwich served onboard a flight. On Wednesday, the airline said it has received the show cause notice and would respond as per protocol. The incident happened onboard flight 6E 6107 from Delhi to Mumbai on December 29. The airline had apologised after the passenger shared a video on social media. On January 2, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asked the airline to show cause why its licence should not be considered for suspension or cancellation and action be initiated as per Food Safety & Standards (FSS) Act for serving unsafe food to a passenger on the flight, according to the show cause notice. The airline has been given seven days to respond to the notice. An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline is in receipt of a "show cause notice from FSSAI with regard to a food item served on ...

Are regulators finally waking up to surrogates?

After a prolonged wait, ASCI has taken action to regulate surrogate ads, but it may be insufficient to rein in a complex advertising ecosystem

FSSAI withdraws order to declare 'best before date' on loose sweets

The directive for withdrawal was issued on November 7, 2023, barely days before Diwali

No appetite for food safety

States must enhance safety mechanisms

FSSAI advises QR code in food labels for visually impaired people

The recent directive emphasised on QR code as an effective means to achieve this

Ensure safe food for students, train staff of hostel canteens: FSSAI

Food regulator FSSAI has stressed on ensuring safe food to students and asked state authorities to provide trainings to those handling food items in canteens of hostels and universities. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao on Saturday addressed the 42nd Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. He urged states and Union Territories to create awareness on food safety. "During the meeting, he directed the Commissioners of Food Safety of States and UTs to organize trainings for food handlers in the canteens of student hostels and universities to ensure safe and hygienic food for students," FSSAI said in a statement. The CEO called upon the Commissioner of Food Safety to upgrade the present food testing infrastructure and increase the number of food testing laboratories in the country. Further, Rao encouraged the states and UTs to make efforts to carry out the surveillance on milk and milk products and sweets si

Imported food item for re-export doesn't need clearance, says FSSAI

The FSSAI advisory should also come as a big relief in ease of doing business

No bitter finding yet on non-sugar sweeteners, says food regulator FSSAI

The WHO guidelines had recommended against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

FSSAI analysing tea samples to determine safety standards, says CEO

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is analysing tea samples from various parts of the country to determine whether these were adhering to the safety standards, an official said on Saturday. The official said that FSSAI, a statutory body for regulating food safety, had conducted surveys and collected samples across the tea industry in the country which are presently being analysed regarding the levels of pesticide residues present in them. "Regarding the tea industry, we have conducted surveys and currently analysing the samples which were collected. We will then present our findings to the industry", CEO of FSSAI, G Kamala Vardhana Rao, said. Rao said FSSAI will train the growers, manufacturers, traders and all those involved in the supply chain from tea production to sales. He said FSSAI has also sought the cooperation and support of Tea Board in this endeavour. Rao who also met officials of the Tea Board earlier in the day said the food safety regulator ha

FSSAI clarifies addition of protein binders not permitted in milk, products

Binding agents have emerged as an important and required class of ingredients to manufacture a wide range of new food products, especially semi-solid or solid foods

Do not to use newspapers for food packaging: FSSAI to food vendors

Food regulator FSSAI has asked food vendors and consumers to immediately stop using newspapers for packing, serving and storage of food items citing significant health risks. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is closely working with state food authorities to monitor and enforce regulations in this regard. FSSAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) G Kamala Vardhana Rao has "strongly urged consumers and food vendors across the country to immediately stop using newspapers for packing, serving and storing food items." He expressed concern over the use of newspapers for wrapping or packaging food and also pointed out significant health risks associated with this practice. "The ink used in newspapers contains various bioactive materials with known negative health effects, which can contaminate food and lead to health issues when ingested," FSSAI cautioned on Wednesday. Additionally, printing inks may contain chemicals, including lead and heavy metals, that can leach into th

Shift in leadership landscape? Non-govt chiefs at financial regulators

Will more regulators such as Trai follow suit?

FSSAI begins milk, milk products' survey in 766 districts, report by Dec

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has started a nationwide surveillance study on milk and milk products this month, in a bid to curb adulteration of such items, an official of the country's apex food regulator said on Monday. The exercise will continue till October, and the regulator is expected to submit its report to the health ministry by December, FSSAI Advisor (Quality Assurance) Satyen K Panda said. "The surveillance survey will cover 766 districts across the country and over 10,000 samples will be collected during the exercise. Two agencies have been engaged for the purpose," he told PTI. Quality Council of India, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the National Dairy Development Board will conduct the survey for FSSAI, Panda said. "The scope for the survey includes milk, khoa, chenna, paneer, ghee, butter, curd, and ice cream. The test parameters are adulterants, normal quality and compositional parameters, contaminants

FSSAI initiates prosecution against FBOs found violating food safety laws

According to the authorities, the prosecution initiated against the FBOs covers different violations committed, including carrying out a food business without a valid license and manufacturing