The highest decision-making body of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not met once for past nine months due to the absence of nominated members.
This has held up many important decisions such as those related to safety norms on labeling and claims, food supplements and imported food safety among others.
Reflecting its apathetic attitude towards the important issues related to food safety, the Health Ministry, which is the administrative Ministry for the FSSAI, has not even bothered to initiate the procedure to nominate the members of the apex panel also called as the Authority.
One third of the total members (22) have either resigned or completed their tenure in this period. Presently, the Authority is represented by seven members at the joint secretary level from Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food Processing, Commerce and Micro and Small and Enterprises (MSME) Ministries. The Authority is headed by the FSSAI Chairperson.
“The present format does not represent full Authority,” sources told The Pioneer.
The last meeting of the Authority was held in June last year under the chairmanship of the then Chairperson P Suvarathan... Every quarterly a meeting is mandatory. However, lackadaisical attitude to nominate the members and subsequent no meeting of the Authority has led to the piling up of many important files, the sources added.
As several regulations including those on neutraceuticals, claim assessments, antibiotics in honey and trans-fatty acids awaits approval, the unscrupulous elements in the food sector are having a field day as they throw rules out of the window at the cost of the health of the consumers.
Moreover, as the food industry has recently transitioned into a new regime under the integrated Food Law in last August, the regular meeting of the members would only streamline the process.
But the food watchdog has fallen victim to utter negligence — the minutes of the meetings held in the past shows that even joint secretary rarely bothered to attend all of them.
“Food is an important issue as it relates to all. But the Ministry has made mockery of the food regulator. First, it was without chairperson for months, now the post for CEO is yet to be filled up. When the members will be nominated, only the Ministry can tell,” the sources added.
This has held up many important decisions such as those related to safety norms on labeling and claims, food supplements and imported food safety among others.
Reflecting its apathetic attitude towards the important issues related to food safety, the Health Ministry, which is the administrative Ministry for the FSSAI, has not even bothered to initiate the procedure to nominate the members of the apex panel also called as the Authority.
One third of the total members (22) have either resigned or completed their tenure in this period. Presently, the Authority is represented by seven members at the joint secretary level from Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food Processing, Commerce and Micro and Small and Enterprises (MSME) Ministries. The Authority is headed by the FSSAI Chairperson.
“The present format does not represent full Authority,” sources told The Pioneer.
The last meeting of the Authority was held in June last year under the chairmanship of the then Chairperson P Suvarathan... Every quarterly a meeting is mandatory. However, lackadaisical attitude to nominate the members and subsequent no meeting of the Authority has led to the piling up of many important files, the sources added.
As several regulations including those on neutraceuticals, claim assessments, antibiotics in honey and trans-fatty acids awaits approval, the unscrupulous elements in the food sector are having a field day as they throw rules out of the window at the cost of the health of the consumers.
Moreover, as the food industry has recently transitioned into a new regime under the integrated Food Law in last August, the regular meeting of the members would only streamline the process.
But the food watchdog has fallen victim to utter negligence — the minutes of the meetings held in the past shows that even joint secretary rarely bothered to attend all of them.
“Food is an important issue as it relates to all. But the Ministry has made mockery of the food regulator. First, it was without chairperson for months, now the post for CEO is yet to be filled up. When the members will be nominated, only the Ministry can tell,” the sources added.
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