Eight sub-panels to formulate regulations on food safety

The central government is set to formulate the regulations for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act soon.

“Currently eight sub-panels under FSSAI are working together to formulate regulations. The notifications are to be put on a website to invite further suggestions from the industry,” FSSAI Chairperson K. Chandramouli said on the sidelines of a conference here recently.

He said because of a diverse food culture in the country, there has been some difficulty in putting together a proper standard on food items.

FSSAI, the nodal agency was set up for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food.

Maharashtra government has also urged FSSAI to ensure that the FSSAI Act is soon converted into law so that structured guidelines are laid down for easy operations, decisiveness and quality of the industry, Minister of State for Home, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Satej Patil said on the sidelines of 8th Nutra India Summit here.

The state government has invited industries interested in setting up manufacturing and R&D plants in the area of nutraceuticals and functional foods.

“Considering the relevance of nutraceuticals, we invite all industries interested in setting up manufacturing and R&D plants in the area of nutraceuticals and functional foods. We are allotting land with incentives at Lotte Parshuram near Chiplun to parties interested in setting up nutra manufacturing or research plants in Maharashtra,” Mr. Patil said.

Mr. Patil requested the organisers to submit a white paper on deliberations of 8th Nutra India Submit, perceiving this event as the strongest gathering of voices of the industry.

Maharashtra is the largest consumer for nutraceuticals in the country and the state has received 3,44,000 fresh registrations in the recent past and generated a revenue of more than Rs 63 crore from the food and related industry, he said.

With its research strengths, India will witness great innovation in the areas of nutrition, nutraceuticals and nutrigenomics, said Samir K Brahmachari, Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR).

By 2030, people’s consumption of chemicals will become negligible and will be taken over by consumption of natural, organic foods, nutraceuticals and functional foods, he said adding that the success of the pharma will be replicated by the nutra industry.