There is a lot we expect from our politicians and leaders whom we have sent to Parliament based on their promises to us. More often than not, these promises are either half-met or not fulfilled at all.
However, the least we can expect from the people in power is that they ensure that the food we eat is safe. As prices skyrocket, it has become increasingly difficult to meet our nutritionary needs but what is one to do if the food you buy is also unsafe?
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has released an audit report where it has come down strongly on The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for their ill-equipped food laboratories and for following poor testing standards.
"The audit revealed systemic inefficiencies, including delays and deficiencies in the framing of various regulations and standards. Audit also observed amendments to regulations in violation of the Act and specific directions of the Supreme Court. Most of the state foods laboratories entrusted with food testing and certification functions, were not only ill-equipped but also did not possess accreditation of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Further, enforcement activities relating to licensing, registration, inspection, sampling and prosecution were inadequate. FSSAI has failed to finalise the recruitment regulations. Irregularities were also observed in the appointment of contractual employees," the damning report said.
You can read the entire report here.
A part of India’s ministry of health and family welfare, the FSSAI was set up in 2011. Its job is to regulate the transport, manufacture, and sale of food apart from the all-important function of laying down scientific standards for food.
"Possibility that unsafe/declared unsafe food articles continued to be manufactured and sold is not ruled out due to failure of the Authority to monitor and cancel licenses issued under the product approval system declared unlawful by the Supreme Court," is yet another damning statement from the CAG report.
Reacting to the CAG report, the FSSAI said it "appreciates the inputs from CAG to improve performance of food safety," reports TOI.
"The CAG report should, however, be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that the FSSAI is new an evolving organisation and it faces severe constraints of manpower and resources," the body added.
The paper also reports that the FSSAI CEO, Pawan Agarwal has said that the regulator has requested the government to recruit 600 people in the central authority to help meet manpower shortage and discharge its function of framing standards as well as ensuring compliances.
"We assure citizens that they can trust food they get. The FSSAI is confident that the country's food safety ecosystem is well on the way to become more robust and globally benchmarked in the years to come," he told reporters.
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