Food Safety

FSSAI specifies comprehensive group standard for millets from September

FSSAI has specified a comprehensive group standard for millets vide Food Safety and Standards, Second Amendment Regulations, 2023 and this will be enforced from September 1 onwards

Food Safety Dept to undergo performance audits district-wise in Kerala

The Food Safety Department would undergo a performance audit district-wise in the state to evaluate its enforcement activities, the Kerala government has said. As the number of people eating from outside is increasing, food safety cannot be compromised and therefore, the department should strengthen its enforcement activities, Health Minister Veena George said. Speaking at a meeting of the Assistant Commissioners of the Food Safety Department, the minister also said that the government would not allow corruption in the department as it was a bigger offense than adulteration of food. She said that food safety officials should take action in accordance with law, but not wrong ones. Strict action would be taken against food safety officials who are corrupt, the minister added, according to the release. George said that performance audits would be carried out on a district basis in the Food Safety Department and the districts would be ranked based on the outcome. Performance of all .

FAO: Rising prices, population, food insecurity add to ranks of hungry

Growing numbers of people in Asia lack enough to eat as food insecurity rises with higher prices and worsening poverty, according to a report released Tuesday by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and other United Nations agencies. Nearly a half-billion people, more than eight in 10 of them in South Asia, were undernourished in 2021 and more than 1 billion faced moderate to severe food insecurity, the report said. For the world, the prevalence of food insecurity rose to more than 29 per cent in 2021 from 21 per cent in 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic was a huge setback, causing mass job losses and disruptions, and the war in Ukraine has pushed up prices for food, energy and fertiliser, putting an adequate diet out of the reach of many millions, it said. The report is the fifth annual stocktaking on food insecurity and hunger by UN agencies including the FAO, UNICEF, World Health Organisation and World Food Programme. Over those years, progress toward alleviating hunger and ...

Ex-ITDC MD G Kamala Vardhana Rao takes charge as CEO of FSSAI

Rao, a 1990 batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, was previously the managing director of the Indian Tourism Development Corporation

FSSAI recognizes Yak as a 'food animal' to check declining population

The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved the Himalayan Yak as a 'food animal'. The move is expected to help check decline in the population of the high-altitude bovine animal by making it a part of the conventional milk and meat industry, an official at the National Research Centre (NRC) on Yak at Dirang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh said. Food Animals are those that are raised and used for food production or consumption by humans. The NRC-Yak had in 2021 submitted a proposal to the FSSAI, for considering the yak as a food animal. However, The FSSAI responded with an official approval recently after a recommendation from the department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, NRC-Yak Director Dr Mihir Sarkar informed. The animal play multi-dimensional socio-cultural-economic role for the pastoral nomads who rear yaks mainly for earning their nutritional and livelihood security due to virtual inexistence of other agricultural activity in the high

FSSAI proposes regulations for genetically modified food: Details here

FSSAI has come out with draft regulations for genetically modified food, proposing mandatory prior approval from the regulator to manufacture, sell and import food or ingredients produced from genetically-modified organisms. The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations, 2022 will apply to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) intended for food use, as per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The regulations, once implemented, will also be applicable to food ingredients produced from GMOs that contain modified DNA as well as for food ingredients produced from GMOs that do not contain modified DNA but includes ingredients/additives/processing aids derived from GMOs. GMO means any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology. "No person shall manufacture, pack, store, sell, market or otherwise distribute or import any food or food ingredient produced from

Foreign food manufacturers have to register in India for some exports

Rule applies for exports in five categories of items, says regulator FSSAI

FSSAI rules: Here is what packaged food and restaurant menus must mention

The government on November 17, 2020, notified the norms under the Food Safety And Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, for producers, retailers, and servers

FSSAI sends notices to eateries for not complying with calorie count order

The last date for restaurants to comply with these norms was January 1, 2022, but it was later extended to July 1

Ensuring nutrition security

Food safety programmes need adjustments

World Food Safety Day: Experts suggest healthy snacks for office-goers

To mark World Food Safety Day 2022, we spoke to experts who could help people hold on to diet lessons learnt during the pandemic

Do Thomas Malthus's words still hold water?

If the Ukraine-war doesn't end soon, we may witness food crises in parts of the world. So, do we need another green revolution to boost food production and save us from Thomas Malthus's prophesy?

FSSAI budget for 2022-23 lower than 2019-20 allocation

Twelve of the 36 states/UTs had fewer food safety officers in 2018-19 compared to 2014-15, shows data

Best of BS Opinion: Peering into 2021, the nature of food, and more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces for the day

The nature of food

Since the release of our investigation into the adulteration of honey, we have received textbook responses - possibly what is discussed and taught in business schools across the world, writes Narain

Best of BS Opinion: Malnutrition among children, Brexit deal, and more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces for the day

Bitter Marico-Dabur war over honey adulteration offers food for thought

When the issue concerns people's health, it's more than just a clash of brands, says experts

Pure controversy

CSE's report on honey points to the need for better standards

In pics: Are you washing fruits, veggies right? Check out FSSAI guidelines

Wash, wash and wash before you cook: that's what the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India recommends.

Two Acts, one mandi, zero food safety

Indian mandis remain filthy because the Food Safety and Standards Act and the APMC Act share an intersection, but not an interaction, with each other