Quality and Standards in India
Food Safety Standards and FSSAI
How FSSAI sets food safety standards, licenses food businesses, tests samples, and deals with adulteration of milk, spices and other foods.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulates food safety.
Foundation
Set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, replacing multiple older laws.
What FSSAI does
- Sets standards for food products and additives.
- Licenses and registers food businesses.
- Tests food samples through state food safety officers.
- Labelling rules.
Adulteration
Common problems include:
- Milk diluted with water or mixed with detergents.
- Spices coloured with harmful dyes.
- Edible oils mixed with cheaper oils.
- Sweets with non-food colours during festivals.
Enforcement challenges
- Too few food safety officers and labs.
- Small vendors are hard to monitor.
- Low penalties in some cases.
Initiatives
- Eat Right India campaign.
- Food Safety on Wheels mobile testing labs.
- Hygiene ratings for restaurants.
Economic view
Adulteration exploits information asymmetry; testing and penalties raise the cost of cheating.
The mobile lab
A Food Safety on Wheels van visits a market and tests milk samples on the spot, finding several diluted with water.
Thinking packaged food is always safe
Testing and enforcement are needed to catch adulteration.
Key takeaways
- FSSAI was set up under the 2006 Act.
- It sets standards, licenses businesses and tests food.
- Milk, spices and oils are commonly adulterated.
- Too few officers and labs limit enforcement.
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