The country is about to witness dramatic changes in food norms, impacting the industry significantly, if initiatives being taken by the Food Safety & Standards Authority are a yardstick.
Formulation of food recall procedures in case of unsafe or hazardous products, mandatory compliance with good agricultural practices for big retailers, labelling changes for packaged food items, organic food certification, setting water quality standards and verification of claims by food supplement companies are among the major reforms being planned by the sector regulator and the government.
FSSAI is currently in the process of consulting with industry stakeholders on food recall procedures.
Speaking to Business Standard, FSSAI chairman P I Suvrathan said food recall was a rather complex process and the Authority would be able to come out with related norms early next year.
The provision of recall exists in the new integrated food safety law, expected to come into effect this August, but 'we have not developed a recall procedure yet', said Suvrathan.
According to him, many countries do not have a recall procedure.
The draft food recall rules state the objective of the procedure as 'guiding food business operators on how to carry out a food recall through an efficient, rapid identification, as well as removal of unsafe food and food that violate the Act and Rules & Regulations.. . '
Informing consumers about the food hazard, establishing a written recall plan, and having a follow-up action plan are also part of the draft.
Other priorities
The authority is also set to look at good agricultural practice as an effective way of assuring food safety. FSSAI will now start putting GAP-certification as a mandatory condition for large retail companies in India.
"GAP is important because a major part of all food products originate from agriculture," the FSSAI chairman said. If we