FSSAI (2006)
Introduction
To protect health and safety of consumers, an effective food control systems are essential. This will facilitate countries to assure the safety and quality of their foods for global trade. The global environment for food trade has stringent norms on both importing and exporting countries. The governments have greater responsibility for food safety and consumer protection. Responsibility for food control in our country is shared between different agencies or ministries through various
food laws for protecting public health.
Food Safety and Standard Act 2006: The act has been enacted to consolidate the laws related to food and to establish the Food safety and standards Authority of India for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage distribution sale and import to ensure availability of safe and whole some food for human consumption
Salient Features Of FSSAI Act, 2006:
Some of the salient features of the Act are:
● Movement from multi-level and multi-department control to a single line of command.
● FSSAI as a single reference point for all matters relating to Food Safety and Standards,
Regulations and Enforcement.
● Integrated response to strategic issues like Novel foods, Health Foods, Nutraceuticals,
GM foods, international trade etc.
● Adequate information dissemination on food to enable consumer to make informed
choices.
● Compounding and Adjudication of cases – to reduce Court’s workload and expedite the
disposal of cases.
● Graded penalty depending upon the gravity of offences.
● Adequate representation of government, industry organizations, consumers, farmers,
technical experts, retailers etc.
● Enforcement of the legislation by the State Governments/ UTs through the state
Commissioner for Food Safety, his officers and Panchayati Raj/Municipal bodies. The Act, incorporates the salient provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and is based on international legislations and instrumentalities. Act takes care of international practices and envisages a overreaching policy framework and provision of single window to guide and regulate persons engaged in manufacture, marketing, processing, handling, transportation, import and sale of food..
Provisions in the Act
Covering Health Foods, supplements, nutraceuticals Issuing Licenses within a time frame of 2 months Provision of Notice by Designated Officers Prosecution, if to be launched, should be within 1 year time frame
Special Courts for summary trials Compensation to Victims (for any case of Injury/ Grievous injury/ Death) Reward to informer (informing about the violators – adulteration etc.) by State Govt. One composite license for unit(s) falling under one areaImportant definitions and features of the act:
