FSSAI and Food Safety: Ensuring the Health of Every Indian
11/8/20242 min read


Every time you think of food, whether it be homemade, packaged, at your favourite café or simply a at home order, do you ever wonder about its safety? Whether it is safe to consume? Every consumer at some points may have these doubts about the food safety. Here comes into play FSSAI also known as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It is a regulatory body handled by Central government of India. Which is responsible for ensuring Food Safety and food standards across country.
What is FSSAI and Why is It Important?
FSSAI stands for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and plays a pivotal role in formulating policies and regulations regarding food safety and quality standards in India. The main objective of FSSAI is to ensure that the food available to consumers is safe, nutritious, and meets specific standards to protect public health.
Established in 2006, FSSAI was created under the Food Safety and Standards Act, which merged various food laws in India and introduced a unified set of standards for food safety. This was done to streamline food safety regulations and ensure consistency across the food industry.
Key Functions of FSSAI
1. Establishing Food Safety Standards
FSSAI's essential role involve establishing food safety and quality standards for various food products. With new standards released every year, FSSAI remains active on improvising the status of food safety, hygiene and nutrition in the country.
2.Issuing Food License and Registering Food Business
FSSAI also holds the responsibility of issuing license to food businesses that are operating in India, however big or small. Obtaining an FSSAI license ensures that the business complies with food safety laws and operates within the standards set by FSSAI.
3. Monitoring and Surveillance of Food Safety
FSSAI plays a critical role in controlling food safety in the country. Authorized officers conduct timely inspections, audits, and collect food samples which are further sent to labs for evaluation to ensure compliance with food safety standards. This helps in identifying unsafe or adulterated food products in the market and further I recall items from the market if required.
4. Consumer Awareness
FSSAI is also plays a crucial role in educating consumers about food safety through awareness campaigns, target oriented agendas etc.
5. Training and Capacity Building
FSSAI also provides regular training to food businesses, Food business workers, and stakeholders in the food industry to ensure they understand food safety regulations and implement them correctly to streamline the food safety across the country.
Conclusion
FSSAI plays a vital role in ensuring safety of food which in turn ensures that products sold in Indian market and safe to consume.
Understanding what FSSAI does, how it works and how important it is for Indian food industry is crucial for every entity associated with food ranging from food business owners to consumers.
Not only it protects the consumers from the food borne illness but also plays an important part in setting limits to the unsupervised use of ingredients in food and at the same time helps in creating a pool of informed consumers.
Next time you buy packaged food or dine out, don’t forget to check for the FSSAI logo. It’s a small step that ensures you’re consuming food that meets the highest food safety standards. Let’s all contribute to a safer and healthier food ecosystem by supporting FSSAI’s efforts to create a food-safe India.