Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state the details of procedure followed by the FSSAI to test food grains distributed under PDS system along with the number of times FSSAI has tested food grains distributed under PDS, State/ UT-wise?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
Standards of food grains are covered under sub-regulation 2.4.6 of Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. All food business operators have to comply with the provisions of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, Rules and Regulations made thereunder. The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations made thereunder primarily rests with State/UT Governments.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) vide letter dated 16th March, 2017 addressed to Commissioner of Food Safety of all States/UTs has specifically asked them to ensure the compliance of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder by the establishments of Food Corporation of India, Food and Supply Departments and Fair Price Shops.
Regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food products are being carried out by the Officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective States/ UTs to check compliance of the standards laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations made thereunder. In cases where the food samples are found to be non-conforming, recourse is taken to penal provisions under Chapter IX of the FSS Act, 2006. No separate enforcement data is maintained centrally by the FSSAI w.r.t. food grains distributed under PDS. However, based on information made available by the States/UTs, details of food samples received, analysed, found non-conforming, and action taken during the year 2017-18 is at Annexure.