Food Safety and Standards Authority of India | FSSAI UPSC
By Balaji
Updated on: February 17th, 2023
FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It is a statutory body under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. FSSAI Maintain food safety and standards. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare administers FSSAI. The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 establishes the framework for developing food safety and regulations in India. In this article, we have covered all the facts and information related to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
The Indian Polity and Governance sections of the UPSC Syllabus mention FSSAI. That’s why it becomes extremely crucial for the candidates to have in-depth knowledge about the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Table of content
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1. What is FSSAI?
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2. Composition of FSSAI
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3. Functions of FSSAI
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4. FSSAI Act 2006
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5. Initiatives By Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
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6. Challenges for FSSAI
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7. FSSAI UPSC
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8. FSSAI UPSC Sample Questions
What is FSSAI?
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) was established in 2008 with the purpose of monitoring the food quality and hygiene in India. The FSSAI has been functioning since 2011, and ever since, it has been responsible for the management of food safety in India.
The headquarters of FSSAI is located in New Delhi, and it has 6 regional offices as well in Mumbai, Cochin, Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, and Chennai. As we have mentioned above, FSSAI was established as per the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. We have mentioned some key points related to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India below.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India – Key Points |
|
Establishment |
5th August 2011 |
Headquatered |
New Delhi |
Administered under |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare |
Act |
Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 |
Composition of FSSAI
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is composed of a Chairperson and 22 members. One-third of the FSSAI must be women.
- Central Government appoints the chairperson of FSSAI.
- Apart from that, there are scientists and researchers testing the quality of food.
Functions of FSSAI
The functions of FSSAI are as follows:
- FSSAI sets up guidelines and rules for all food manufacturing companies in India.
- It grants a license to pursue any food-related business. The owners need to have a license and certificate from FSSAI.
- Inspection is done for the manufacturing and food-producing companies to ensure they meet the guidelines.
- FSSAI spreads awareness about the importance of hygienic and safe consumption of foods.
- It also maintains records and data of all the registered organizations.
- FSSAI updates the government regarding any safety-related threats and violations of rules.
FSSAI Act 2006
FSSAI Act consolidates various acts that were related to handling food-related issues earlier in various departments and ministries, such as
- Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1988
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
- Meat Food Products Order, 1973
- Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992
A few acts were implemented as well, but the Government passed the FSSAI Act 2006 that combined all the acts related to the handling of food-related issues in India.
Initiatives By Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
FSSAI has taken a few initiatives for food safety and standards. Below we have mentioned some important initiatives:
- Eat Right India- This initiative aims to provide quality food to everyone.
- Heart Attack Rewind- This initiative by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India aims to eliminate trans fat in India by 2022.
- Diet4Life- this is another initiative by FSSAI to spread awareness about metabolic disorders.
- Save Food, Share Food, Share Joy- This initiative is to encourage people to donate food instead of wasting it.
Challenges for FSSAI
There are various challenges that need to be addressed by FSSAI, such as:
- Setting proper laboratories for the testing of food quality,
- Having skilled and qualified people to test and approve the food manufactured.
- Getting funds for establishing advanced technologies
- Re-evaluating the terms and regulations as per international standards
- Making sure every food manufacturing business owner has a proper license.
FSSAI UPSC
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India topic is a part of the UPSC Syllabus. That’s why candidates preparing for the upcoming UPSC Exam must give importance to this topic. Here we have covered FSSAI UPSC notes that would be extremely helpful for the UPSC aspirants during their preparation. Apart from the notes, candidates can also rely on the UPSC books and other study materials for covering this topic.
FSSAI UPSC Sample Questions
Question: Which of the following statement is/are correct with respect to FSSAI
- It is an autonomous body
- It comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Select the correct answer using the code given below
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 and 2
Answer: (c)