Question : Online Sale of Harmful Food Items

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

(a) whether the Government is aware about the WHO warning regarding the online sale of harmful food items and measures to regulate and restrict them;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto;

(c) the mechanism presently in place to monitor and regulate sale of such products online in the country;

(d) whether the Government has worked out any action plan in consultation/ collaboration with the States and other stake holders to check this menace; and

(e) if so, the details and the outcome thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)
(a) & (b): No such information has come to the notice of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
(c) to (e): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India have finalised draft guidelines for operations of E-Commerce Food Business Operators in September, 2016 and have uploaded the same for comments and suggestions on its website. Moreover, regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food products are undertaken 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 regulations thereunder. In cases, where food samples are found to be non-conforming, recourse is taken to penal provisions under Chapter IX of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.