What is the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006?
Food Safety and Standards Act received the assent of the President on 23rd August, 2006 and came into effect on 5th August, 2011.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is an integrated food law that lays down standards and guidelines for consumer safety, protection of consumer health and regulation of the food sector.
It seeks to harmonise Indian standards with the international standards like Codex Alimentarius (“Food Code” established by the WTO as far back as 1963) and facilitates international trade in food articles.
The Act also lays down general provisions for food additives and processing of articles.
Who is responsible for the implementation of the Act?
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is responsible for the implementation of the Act.
How does this Law protect consumer interest? What are the contemporary challenges that it tackles?
The Law protects consumer interest by prohibiting misleading advertisements and penalising adulteration.
It addresses contemporary challenges facing the sector like provisions related to Genetically Modified (GM) crops, functional food, international trade in food items etc and is considered to be a single reference point for food related matters. It specifies procedures for accreditation of laboratories.
What about the laws that existed before the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 like the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act(PFA) of 1954?
It is a comprehensive legislation for the sector and subsumes the then existing acts and standards like Prevention of Food Adulteration Act(PFA) of 1954 ,Fruit Products Order of 1955, Meat Food Products Order of 1973, Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order of 1947, Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation)Order of 1988, Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order of 1967, Milk and Milk Products Order of 1992 and also any order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food.
Does the Act set up any statutory authority to regulate the food sector?
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been created under the Act. FSSAI regulates the food sector by laying down guidelines and standards to be followed.
Source: Arthapedia
Originally contributed by: Ritika Narula, IES(2009)