Question : FOOD ADULTERATION LAWS

(a) whether the existing laws related to safety and quality of food and beverage items are adequate to check food adulteration and ensure their high standards;

(b) if so, the details thereof indicating the extent to which these have been successful in bringing down the cases of food adulteration in the country;

(c) whether the Government proposes to review the above laws and put in place a coordinated mechanism as per the current requirement to regulate manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food items duly supported with food testing laboratories;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/proposed by the Government to open more food laboratories for the purpose across the country?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI SUDIP BANDYOPADHYAY)

(a) to (d): The Food Safety and Standards Act, (FSSA) 2006 was passed by the Parliament establ ishing the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to lay down science based stand ards for the articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, and to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. This Act has replaced the erstwhile the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and multiple food orders regulations. Rules and Regulations, setting various standards, under the FSSA have been noti fied with effect from 5.8.2011. With this, the food regulatory framework has now moved from limi ted prevention of food adulteration regime to safe and wholesome food regime. Under the new Law, the States have been requested to strengthen their food regulatory enforcement mechanisms.

(e) : At present, there are 123 Food Testing Laboratories in the country for testing food as per standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules/Re gulations, 2011. Out of these, 49 laboratories have National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL) accreditation, and 72 labs are owned by the State/UT Governments .

There are Four Central Food Laboratories. Two of these laboratories viz. (i) Food Research and Standardization Laboratory, Ghaziabad and

(ii) Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata are under the ad ministrative control of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the other two viz. Central Food Laboratory, Pune and Central Food Laboratory, Mysore are under the administrative control of the Government of Maharashtra and Council of Sci entific and Industrial Research, Govt. of India respectively. Setting up new laboratories as well as upgradation of existing laboratories is a continuous pro cess.