Dec 21, 2017
FSSAI finalises recruitment norms, proposes to create 600 posts
Most concerns raised by CAG being addressed, says CEO
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 20:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is in the process of finalising its recruitment regulations, is looking to create 600 posts to strengthen its workforce.
The food safety regulator has sent its proposal to the Ministry of Health. It also said that the Central government was investing ₹480 crore to strengthen State food laboratories and referral laboratories.
“We have finalised the recruitment regulations and have made a suggestion to create 600 posts. Discussions and deliberations are going on to finalise this proposal with the ministry,” Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, told reporters on Wednesday.
Agarwal was reacting to the CAG report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, which raised various issues around the functioning of FSSAI, the existing inadequate lab infrastructure, delay in formulation of standards and regulations and lack of recruitment regulations among others.
“We appreciate the inputs we have got from CAG to improve performance of food safety. However, over the past one-and-half-year, we have addressed most of these areas of concern. We remain committed to raise the bar for food safety standards in the country,” he said, adding that FSSAI wanted to assure citizens that they could trust the food they get.
Agarwal said that over the past few years, several steps had been taken to strengthen and improve food safety. “The CAG report should be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that FSSAI is a new and evolving organisation that faces severe constraints of manpower and resources,” he added.Delays and deficiencies
On concerns raised by the government auditor around the delays and deficiencies in formulation of standards and regulations, FSSAI said over the past two years, it had focused on expediting the process of developing new regulations and food standards. These include regulations on health supplements and nutraceuticals, food ingredient regulations, import regulations, and approval for non-specified food, among others.
Talking about food testing infrastructure, Agarwal said FSSAI was already in the process of upgrading its existing lab in Ghaziabad through a public-private partnership, and was also looking to set up its new labs in other metro cities, including Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
Talking about efforts to support State laboratories, he said hand-holding was being done to States to support them in getting NABL accreditation. “Just like the developed markets, we are also in the process of identifying and setting up a network of reference labs, which will be involved with setting benchmarks and methodology for testing for other laboratories,” he added.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had 261 unauthorised contractual employees: CAG
NEW DELHI: The FSSAI has on its roll unauthorised 261 contractual employees who perform routine functions, defeating the intention that employees should perform specific tasks, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has said.
The audit body has observed that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not, prior to the engaging the 261 employee, identified their specific work, expected output and time frame for completion of the work.
"FSSAI has on its roll (as of December 2016), 261 contractual employees in the technical, scientific, administrative and general categories. Audit observed that these contractual employees were performing routine functions, defeating the intention of appointing contractual employees only for specific tasks of defined duration," the audit report says.
Of the total, 51 were appointed in 2016 alone, it said. "Further, 61 contractual employees have been working in FSSAI for more than five years (as of December 2016)," said the report.
The FSSAI admitted (May 2017) that the contractual staff had been engaged for even more than five years and they have been working like regular staff and not in any time-bound specific activity. This supports the audit observation.
FSSAI stated that an internal committee had been set up to review all contractual appointments including their remuneration, increment and tenure.
The audit body also found that there was irregular grant of higher grade to a category of contractual employees.
"In terms of sanction orders (September 2010) of the Ministry, Assistance and Accounts Assistants/Administration cum Accounts Assistants in the FSSAI are only entitled to grade pay of Rs 4,200.
"However, without the approval of the food authority, Ministry, the CEO, FSSAI approved (March 2015) fixation of remuneration payable to contractual employees based on the grade pay of Rs 4,600 against the post of Assistant and Accounts Assistants/Administration cum Accounts Assistants," said the report.
According to the audit body, FSSAI accepted the facts and stated that the rationale for this has not been found on records so far.
"In case there is no good reason, this would be reverted to Rs 4,200," said the report.
Citizens can trust food they get: FSSAI on CAG report the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Food safety regulator FSSAI today assured citizens that they can trust food they get, a day after government auditor CAG pulled up the sectoral watchdog over licensing process and poor testing labs.
Responding to the CAG's audit finding, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it is committed to raise the bar of food safety and hygiene for which it is investing Rs 480 crore to modernise state food testing labs.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said 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.
He said the regulator is reviewing the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and will make a recommendation to the health ministry in the next 3-4 months.
"We assure citizens that they can trust the 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.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had yesterday pulled up the FSSAI for issuing licences to food business operators without complete documents and questioned it on the quality of testing with 65 out of 72 state labs not being accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The auditor found "systemic inefficiencies, delays and deficiencies in the framing of various regulations and standards, amendments to regulations in violation of the Act and the specific direction of the Supreme Court".
Reacting to the CAG report, the FSSAI said it "appreciates the inputs from CAG to improve performance of food safety."
"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," he said.
Stressing that the regulator has over the past couple of years taken several steps to improve food safety in the country, he said, "The FSSAI continues to be committed to raise the bar for food safety and hygiene in the country so that citizens can trust food they get in the marketplace."
Elaborating on food labs, Agarwal said the Centre is making an investment of Rs 480 crore for strengthening of the state food laboratories and referral laboratories. Overall 45 labs across States/UTs would be supported.
The FSSAI is also upgrading its own two labs and will set up two new laboratories, he said, adding that the regulator will also soon finalise reference labs to deal with inconsistency.
There are currently 240 labs across the country, of which 152 are private accredited with NABL.
On framing of standards, Agarwal said barring few products, norms and regulations have been framed for all the products, including organic food, specified under the Act.
Asked about the CAG's findings on the licensing process, he said the FSSAI is reviewing the document list and doing away with those which are not needed for getting its registration and licences.Welcoming CAG's performance audit, Agarwal said: "This report will help us in sensitising those states which are not doing enough on the food safety front.
Food safety regulator to ensure clean street-food hubs
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is in the process of designating popular street food localities across the country as ‘clean street food hubs’
To ensure street food available in India is safe and hygienic has been on top of FSSAI’s agenda.
India’s top food regulator could soon certify popular street-food places, assuring quality for those in love with street food but wary of hygiene.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is in the process of designating popular street food localities across the country as ‘clean street food hubs’, if they fulfil certain food safety and hygiene criteria.
“Street food is popular among people and there already are streets and cluster of shops in different states that are known for their street food. What we are planning is to ensure that the food served at these places is safe and hygienic,” said Pawan Agarwal, CEO- FSSAI.
The food regulator currently is in the process of formulating guidelines for certification.
“The parameters that we are considering include best practices for garbage disposal, maintaining personal hygiene, demarcating cooking and non-cooking area, working street lights, pest control and overall cleanliness among other things,” he said.
Once the guidelines are formed, the food regulator will write to states to get local authorities involved in the project.
“Many of the parameters go beyond FSSAI mandate so we will have to rope in various departments locally to see to it that this project is implemented successfully.”
Eating unhygienic food , especially street food, can lead to serious health conditions.
“Eating contaminated food or water can lead to diarrhoea, typhoid fever, viral hepatitis or even cholera. We frequently get patients who get sick after eating street food or taking contaminated water,” says Dr MP Sharma, chairman, gastroenterology, Rockland Hospital.
To ensure street food available in India is safe and hygienic has been on top of FSSAI’s agenda.
It started project clean street food earlier this year that involves training and capacity building of the street food vendors and ensures proper regulatory oversight over them under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Close to 20,000 street food vendors have been trained in best hygiene practices in the national Capital already, and the training will be extended to other states in coming months.
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