Question : FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS

(a) the total number of food articles tested by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India in 2010 and the number of food articles found to be adultered;

(b) whether a comparative study of food adulteration rate has been made ruring the last three years and the current year:

(c) if so, the details thereof alongwith the States which have the highest rate of adulteration:

(d) whether the Government proposes to set up a National Food Science and Risk Assessment Centre (NFSRAC);

(e) if so, the purpose, its terms of reference and estimated cost involved; and

(f) the time by which this centre is likely to start functioning?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a)to(f) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 157 FOR 23RD MARCH, 2012.

(a) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, under its administrative control, had two Central Food Laboratories at Ghaziabad and Kolkata working only as referral laboratories testing samples received from the courts in the year 2010 under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) 1964. Testing of food samples was done by the State/UT Governments. As per available information, out of 117061 samples tested by States/UTs Governments in 2010, 14806 samples were found to be adulterated.

(b&(c): Based on information received from States/UTs, a comparative statement on percentage of adulterated food articles in all States/UT during 2008, 2009 and 2010 is annexed.

(d)to(f): The Working Group on Drugs and Food Regulations constituted for making recommendations for the 12th Five Year Plan, has recommended setting up the National Food Science and Risk Assessment Centre (NFSRAC), a dedicated institution under the direct control of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for regulatory research and risk assessment, as well as to oversee surveillance on the lines of international institutions and to carry out food safety risk analysis training programmes, with an estimated cost of Rs.155 cr. Further action in this regard will be dependent upon the finalization of the 12th Five Year Plan.