Running short of manpower: FSSAI on CAG report

Soon after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) slammed Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the food regulator responded that it is facing a severe manpower crunch.

In its recent report, CAG pulled down FSSAI for allotting license to companies who have submitted incomplete documentation, and questioned the quality of testing.

In its official statement, FSSAI stated, “CAG report should, however, be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that FSSAI is a new and evolving organisation and it faces severe constraints of manpower and resources. It would have been useful if the report had noted a lot of very useful work done by the FSSAI over years.”

The CAG in its audit found systemic inefficiencies, delays and deficiencies in the framing of regulations and standards and the specific direction of the Supreme Court. The CAG also found that licenses were issued on the basis of incomplete documents in more than 50% cases test checked in the audit.

The report also highlights that 65 out of the 72 state food laboratories to which FSSAI and state food safety authorities sent food samples for testing do not possess National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation. Consequently, the quality of testing by these laboratories cannot be assured. To which, FSSAI reverted that it has been working over the past couple of years to ensure that the state food laboratories and referral laboratories are fully equipped and functional.

The central government is making an investment of Rs 480 crore for strengthening state food laboratories and referral laboratories. It is also investing in training of staff and handholding National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories accreditation.

On the allegation of delay in formulating regulation, the food regulator said that recently rapid progress has been made in developing new regulations and food standards. FSSAI has notified nearly 9,000 provisions for use of around 400 food additives in various food categories, several of which address the majority of issues related to product approval after the discontinuation of the product approval system.