Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
3. May 2023The Indian Ministry of Health established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2008, under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act) of 2006.
The FSSAI is the Food Safety Authority of India and as such has a number of different responsibilities.
Mainly, the authority develops new standards and regulations for food production and food safety. Anyone selling or importing food in India also needs a food licence issued by FSSAI. FSSAI also directly monitors compliance of food regulations, especially in the area of food imports to India. FSSAI officers carry out food import controls and ensure that the contain no harmful ingredients. To do this, they send selected test products from the import to accredited laboratories for inspection.
The FSSAI is also responsible for the accreditation of food testing laboratories throughout India.
The FSSAI is responsible for the Food Certification in India.
As an authority, the FSSAI also has a political advisory function. For example, it supports the central government in the creation of new laws on food safety and nutrition.
With statistical data collections on consumption, the occurrence of contaminants in food and the identification of potential risks, the FSSAI is also able to warn the Indian population of dangerous health risks at an early stage.
