Question : Third Party Food Safety Audit

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has initiated the process of getting third party safety audit of food conducted in various places of the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the aims and objectives thereto;

(c) whether the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has empanelled national and international agencies to audit food safety and hygiene standards of canteens, cafeterias and hostel mess of several IITs and IIMs; and

(d) if so, the details of the agencies who are involved in the said audit?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a): Yes. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated the process of getting third party food safety audit of food units under various central institutions under the draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2017.

(b): FSSAI has granted Provisional Recognition as Food Safety Auditing Agency to 15 auditing agencies in accordance with the criteria laid down under the draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2017 after approval by the Food Authority, to create pool of Auditing Agencies that could be used for audit of food businesses. The list of agencies granted Provisional Recognition along with their respective scope of auditing is at Annexure- I. Objectives of these Food Safety Audits are:
a) to strengthen the food safety surveillance system;
b) to reduce the regulatory Food Safety Inspections conducted by Central/State Licensing Authorities in case of satisfactory third party audits; and
c) to encourage self compliance among FBOs as they may opt for voluntary audits .

(c) & (d): Yes. FSSAI has recognised 15 food safety auditing agencies under the draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2017. The list of agencies who have volunteered for food safety audit of higher educational institutes is at Annexure II.