MAINTAINING INDIA'S PROGRESS IN FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS

Transparency, public education and the application of science-based evidence are essential

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This year, the theme of World Food Safety Day, which is observed on June 7, is “Food Safety: Science in Action”. It is an opportune moment to reflect on India’s journey, evolving from a narrow focus on preventing food adulteration to embracing a more comprehensive, science-based approach to food safety. But despite the progress, there are gaps and challenges.

India’s journey on food safety began with the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act of 1954, which viewed food safety as a simple, binary issue — food being adulterated or not. This approach treated all contaminants alike, whether they were intentionally added adulterants, food additives, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, or even naturally occurring toxins. The quantity consumed was not considered.

The turning point was the enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Drawing on international best practices, particularly those of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the FSSAI adopted a risk-based approach to food safety. This included setting maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides, defining safe levels for food additives, and adopting standards for contaminants and veterinary drug residues.

By 2020, the FSSAI managed to develop and align India’s food safety standards so that they were almost on a par with those in advanced countries. However, this rapid progress also exposed certain weaknesses.

The gaps and challenges in risk assessment