Amending and Enforcing Food Safety Laws in India: Inputs Sought
Many of you via LocalCircles FSSAI Food Safety circle and other consumer circles have been expressing concerns on artificial ripening, adulterated foods, etc. With such regular reporting by active citizens like you in the Safe and Nutritious Food circle, FSSAI seems to have finally decided to add a new section to the Food Safety and Standards act and make the punishment for food adulteration stringent (Current punishment calls for up to 6 months of jail and fine of INR 1000).
We look forward to your inputs!
Solutions from citizens to improve Food Safety in India:
1. The Ministry should completely revamp FSSAI
2. FFSAI’s working should be modernised and the team should be trained on the latest techniques on finding adulteration in food items
3. FSSAI’s guidelines should be strictly implemented
4. Food Testing labs should be set up and upgraded in all states, as per international standards
5. A committee should be established to make a crackdown on food inspectors who take bribes
6. Government food safety evaluation techniques, processes and controls should be modified
7. Steps should be taken to regularize street food vendors and issues licenses to them
8. Directives should be issued on the cleanliness required in the kitchen spaces of restaurants
9. Food inspectors should make surprise visits to food joints to ascertain the level of hygiene and to check for adulteration
10. Violators should be heavily penalized
11. Repeat offenders’ license should be revoked
12. Injecting chemicals into fruits and vegetables should be made illegal
13. Chemical farming should be strictly banned
14. Proper systems and processes should be devised for the food safety bodies
15. District wise checking of hotels and restaurant kitchens must be done on a regular basis
16. Anytime issues are found in a batch of product, recalls should be mandated and same needs to be communicated to public via all media including social media
17. Organic labelling along the lines of (USDA organic) must be introduced
18. A citizen circle like Fight Corruption Together or Make Railways Better should be created by FSSAI and LocalCircles on Improving Food Safety so anyone from anywhere can report issues easily
19. A consumer help line for reporting unsafe, adulterated or unethical practices around food by large corporates should also be started
20. Organic farming should be promoted
21. The expiry date should be engraved on the product packaging so that it cannot be changed
22. The expired items must be compulsorily taken back by the producer
23. Private food testing labs should be opened in cities and citizens should be allowed to get food samples.
24. State food departments have rampant corruption and inspector raj and must be reformed with citizen help. more
We look forward to your inputs!
Solutions from citizens to improve Food Safety in India:
1. The Ministry should completely revamp FSSAI
2. FFSAI’s working should be modernised and the team should be trained on the latest techniques on finding adulteration in food items
3. FSSAI’s guidelines should be strictly implemented
4. Food Testing labs should be set up and upgraded in all states, as per international standards
5. A committee should be established to make a crackdown on food inspectors who take bribes
6. Government food safety evaluation techniques, processes and controls should be modified
7. Steps should be taken to regularize street food vendors and issues licenses to them
8. Directives should be issued on the cleanliness required in the kitchen spaces of restaurants
9. Food inspectors should make surprise visits to food joints to ascertain the level of hygiene and to check for adulteration
10. Violators should be heavily penalized
11. Repeat offenders’ license should be revoked
12. Injecting chemicals into fruits and vegetables should be made illegal
13. Chemical farming should be strictly banned
14. Proper systems and processes should be devised for the food safety bodies
15. District wise checking of hotels and restaurant kitchens must be done on a regular basis
16. Anytime issues are found in a batch of product, recalls should be mandated and same needs to be communicated to public via all media including social media
17. Organic labelling along the lines of (USDA organic) must be introduced
18. A citizen circle like Fight Corruption Together or Make Railways Better should be created by FSSAI and LocalCircles on Improving Food Safety so anyone from anywhere can report issues easily
19. A consumer help line for reporting unsafe, adulterated or unethical practices around food by large corporates should also be started
20. Organic farming should be promoted
21. The expiry date should be engraved on the product packaging so that it cannot be changed
22. The expired items must be compulsorily taken back by the producer
23. Private food testing labs should be opened in cities and citizens should be allowed to get food samples.
24. State food departments have rampant corruption and inspector raj and must be reformed with citizen help. more
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View all 59 comments Below 59 comments
How about rehri walas. They use the products is of very low standard. Who is going to stop that? more
Jul 06
Law is Promulgated who should be enforcing laws - FSSAI and state governments and I assure that they will never do any thing worth while. more
Jun 25
Local Politicians have ever support to Businessmen, Traders and Vendors. This is why, all Govts decades together COULD NOT STOP THIS MALPRACTICE . System of Rule getting habituated to Regulate a Warning/Condition and get off . This had been befitting only those 10% to 20% who have been misusing , Cheating and bagging Black Money and bridging Mountains of Concealed Wealth . more
Jun 26
+++++++Point No. 11 is not helpful. +++++++++++++++ Please remove license raj. Make it self-declaratory from online portal, and provide incentives for self-declarations. +++++++Point No. 13 is not helpful. +++++++++++++++ Move towards organic farming slowly yet steadily. +++++++Point No. 20 is not helpful. +++++++++++++++ Agricultural produce from organic farming has very little shelf life. It is expensive. Farmers will go bankrupt. And, the attacks from insects, pests cannot be sustained - therefore crop produce will drop drastically - will put the farmers into severe hardships. +++++++Point No. 22 is not helpful. +++++++++++++++ Please encourage mass production of packaged foods to ensure raw food is not wasted. For e.g. wheat. more
Jun 25
