Question : Import of Contaminated Food Products

(a) whether radioactive contaminated food product is being imported in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has been scanning radioactive contamination of these food items and if so, the details thereof, country-wise;
(c) whether any contamination has been detected in the scanned food products imported from some countries and if so, the details thereof;
(d) the details of infrastructure available in the country for scanning of such food products along with the efforts being made to make scanning more effective for food products; and
(e) whether the Government has discontinued the scanning of food products imported from some countries and if so, the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (c): Whenever any alert / feedback is received regarding radioactive contamination, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issues necessary instructions / advisories to its field formations.

FSSAI released advisories in March and April, 2011 following the earthquake in Japan and consequent radiation leakage from affected Nuclear Plant that samples of imported food articles particularly fresh produce exported from Japan after 11th March, 2011, such as sea food, fruits, vegetables and meat be tested for radioactive contamination. The testing was decided to be done at the following laboratories:

(i) Board Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT / BARC), Navi Mumbai.
(ii) Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, New Delhi.
(iii) Monarch Biotech Private Limited, Chennai.
(d): Currently there are 232 laboratories which are utilized by FSSAI for testing of food samples. Out of these 232 laboratories:

(i) 72 laboratories are State/Public food laboratories functioning under the State/ Union Territory Government (utilized for primary analysis of sample by the Food Analyst under FSS Act, 2006).

(ii) 142 laboratories are NABL (ISO 17025) accredited laboratories, mostly private, notified by FSSAI for primary analysis of sample by the Food Analyst under FSS Act, 2006.

(iii) 18 laboratories are Referral Laboratories notified by FSSAI for the purpose of referral testing under FSS Act, 2006/ Rules & Regulations, 2011 (i.e. analysis of appeal samples). These come under various Central Government Ministries/ Departments/State Govt. 2 of these are FSSAI’s own labs viz. Food Research and Standardisation laboratory (FRSL), Ghaziabad and Central Food Laboratory (CFL) , Kolkata .

(e) As none of the samples tested had failed on the basis of radioactive contaminations, the said advisory was withdrawn by FSSAI on 17th February, 2016. No instance of radioactive food products import has been detected at the six ports where FSSAI is present even after withdrawal of the said advisory.
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