New Delhi, Jul 7: Cutting across party lines, state governments have demanded that the Centre shift the food safety regulator, FSSAI, to Consumer Affairs Ministry from Health Ministry for better regulation of processed food items. Currently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) comes under the purview of Healthy Ministry. The regulator has been in the news since the start of the Maggi controversy. ”Jharkhand, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh demanded that FSSAI should be governed by the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry and not Union Health Ministry. Other states/UTs supported their demand unanimously,” Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters here.
He refused however to comment on the demand made by state governments in this regard. The FSSAI issue was raised in the meeting of state food ministers on price rise issue. Around 33 states and Union Territories attended the meeting. Jharkhand Food Minister Saryu Rai said, “FSSAI should be part of the Union Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry because the issue is related to food.”
Unlike Health Ministry, Rai said, the Consumer Affairs Ministry is well-equipped with labs to check food safety as well as consumer courts to take further action against offenders. ”I hope Paswanji will taken action on this issue. If need arises, a delegation of state governments will meet the Prime Minister to explain the logic behind our demand,” Rai said.
Karnataka Food Minister Gundu Rao said a cabinet note in this regard has also moved in the state government. “Since there are legal hurdles, we want the Centre to take lead on this issue,” he added. Last month, FSSAI banned Nestle’s Maggi noodles due to presence of lead and taste enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) beyond permissible limits. It ordered Nestle to immediately withdraw and recall all nine variants of Maggi instant noodles from market. The regulator has stepped up surveillance on other food products including snacks and beverages.
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