Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether FSSAI has carried out food safety audit of the top Central institutes of higher education recently;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether most of institutions failed to clear the audit and if so, the details thereof;
(d) the details of agencies involved in the said audits; and
(e) the action being contemplated by the Government to ensure food safety in the institutes of higher education?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a)& (b): Yes. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had undertaken third party food safety audit through auditing agencies recognised provisionally under the draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2017 of eleven Central educational institutions of higher learning and has received audit reports in respect of ten of these institutions. These audits were conducted on a sample basis to ascertain the compliance with the standards of food safety and hygiene prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
(c): The Audit Reports in respect of seven of these ten institutions have observed non-compliance of the prescribed standards of food safety and hygiene in varying degree.
(d): The details of the Institutes and the agencies which conducted the audit are at Annexure.
(e): After receiving the audit reports, these institutions were apprised that their Hostel mess/Canteen etc., are required to be licensed/registered from FSSAI under Section31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act , 2006 and to comply with the standards of FSSAI prescribed under its regulations. The audit report and summary of the report with important audit findings were shared with them for initiating actions for corrective actions/improvements.
To improve the level of food hygiene in their premises, these institutions have also been asked to nominate a person who can be trained and certified as a Food Safety Supervisor under FSSAI’s Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme.
FSSAI has requested the Ministry of Human Resource Development to issue necessary instructions to all higher educational institutes for getting their Hostel mess/Canteens etc., licenced/registered with FSSAI as per provisions of Section 31(1) of the FSS, Act, 2006. Ministry of Human Resource Development has also been requested to consider issuing instructions to the institutes of higher education to nominate one person from amongst its officials who can be notified by FSSAI as a Food Safety Officer.