FSSAI Regulations and Standards

Introduction

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the statutory body that regulates food safety in India. Set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, it frames science-based standards and oversees manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food products.

By replacing several overlapping food-related laws with one unified framework, FSSAI has become the key authority for food regulation, labelling, testing and licensing in the country.

Legislative Origin and Structure

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidated eight older laws and orders into one regulatory code to remove duplication and conflicting jurisdictions.

• Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
• Fruit Products Order, 1955
• Meat Food Products Order, 1973
• Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
• Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998
• Solvent Extracted Oil, De-oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967
• Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992
• Any order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food

FSSAI functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It has its head office in New Delhi and is supported by regional offices, import clearance offices and notified referral laboratories across India.

Composition and Decision-Making

• Chairperson: A non-executive Chairperson appointed by the Central Government.
• Members: The Authority consists of 22 members.
• Women representation: One-third of the total members must be women.
• Rank: The Chairperson holds the rank equivalent to a Secretary to the Government of India.
• CEO: The Chief Executive Officer acts as the legal and administrative head and serves as Member-Secretary to the Authority.

The standards framework is built on a two-tier scientific system under Sections 13 and 14 of the Act.

• Scientific Panels: Independent expert groups that assess specific subjects such as biological hazards, food additives, contaminants, pesticide residues, genetically modified organisms and functional foods.
• Scientific Committee: The apex technical body that reviews panel recommendations and submits them to the Food Authority for notification.

Core Functions of FSSAI

• Food standards: Formulates regulations and sets safety limits for additives, contaminants, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals and microbiological parameters.
• Laboratory system: Lays down accreditation mechanisms and certification guidelines for food testing laboratories.
• Policy support: Provides scientific advice and technical assistance to the Central and State Governments.
• Data collection: Collects epidemiological data on dietary consumption, biological risks and foodborne contaminants.
• Rapid alerts: Establishes a nationwide rapid alert system for emerging food safety hazards.

Major Standard-Setting Areas

Licensing, Registration and Labelling Rules

FSSAI enforces compliance through subordinate regulations notified under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Licensing and Registration Regulations, 2011 require every food business to obtain the relevant approval before operating.

• Registration: For petty food business operators such as micro-scale vendors, hawkers and temporary stallholders with annual turnover up to Rs. 12 lakh.
• State License: For medium-sized food business operators with annual turnover between Rs. 12 lakh and Rs. 20 crore.
• Central License: For large manufacturers, 100% export-oriented units, importers, operators in central government premises such as railways and airports, and businesses with annual turnover above Rs. 20 crore.
• FSSAI number: All licensed packages must carry a 14-digit FSSAI License Number with the standard logo.

The Packaging and Labelling Regulations require clear product disclosure for consumers.

• Vegetarian/non-vegetarian mark: Green dot inside a green square for vegetarian food and brown dot inside a brown square for non-vegetarian food.
• Nutritional information: Energy, protein, carbohydrates, total sugars, added sugars, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium per 100g/100ml or per single serving.
• Mandatory declarations: Name of food, ingredient list, date of manufacture or packaging, “Best Before” or “Use By” date, lot/batch identification, net quantity and country of origin for imported goods.
• Allergen warnings: Common allergens such as gluten, crustaceans, milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts and soybeans must be declared.

Safety Limits, Digital Systems and Quality Measures

• Trans fats: India aligned with WHO benchmarks by capping industrial trans fatty acids at 2% by weight in all fats and oils.
• Potassium bromate: Prohibited as a flour treatment agent in bakery products due to carcinogenic risks.
• Artificial ripening: Calcium Carbide is prohibited, while ethylene gas is permitted up to 100 ppm for controlled fruit ripening.

• FoSCoS: Pan-India digital portal for licensing, registrations, annual return filing and regulatory compliance.
• FoSCoRIS: Web-based system for digital, real-time food safety inspections by enforcement officers.
• InFoLNet: Indian Food Laboratory Network, a centralized laboratory information management system linking food testing labs.
• Food Safety Magic Box: Do-it-yourself chemical testing kit to detect basic adulterants in schools and households.
• Food Safety on Wheels: Mobile food testing vans used for remote food safety checks.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Legal base: FSSAI was created under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Parent ministry: It functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Core role: It regulates manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food.
• Unified law: The 2006 Act replaced eight older food-related laws and orders.
• Scientific structure: Standards are developed through Scientific Panels and the Scientific Committee.
• Licensing: Food businesses need registration or a State/Central License depending on scale and turnover.
• Labelling: FSSAI rules cover nutrition facts, allergen disclosure, date marking and vegetarian/non-vegetarian symbols.