Question : FOOD QUALITY CONTROL

(a) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to improve the food quality control in the country;

(b) whether the Government proposes to set up health laboratories equipped with modern equipments in every districts including Nagpur of the country to check the rise in the cases of food adulteration;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the proposed food Authority to check the activities of food adulteration has started functioning in the country; and

(e) if so, the details thereof alongwith the duties entrusted to the Authority?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a) The Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954 and the PFA Rules, 1955 made thereunder already contain provisions for regulating quality of food articles in the country. There are 72 laboratories in the States/UTs for testing food samples and 4 Central Food Laboratories which function as appellate laboratories for the purpose.

(b) & (c) No. There is no proposal to set up any new Central Food Laboratory.New laboratories are set up on the basis of workload of testing food samples.The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, however, inter alia provides for notification of non-governmental food laboratories and research institutions accredited by recognised agencies for the purposes of carrying out of testing of samples of food articles.

(d) & (e) Yes. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, set up under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 by a notification dated the 5th September, 2008, has already started functioning. The Authority has been set up with the aim of 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 wholesome food for human consumption.