A new Food Safety Bill (amendment to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006) is almost ready- Sudhansh Pant
This year Codex marks its 60th anniversary and to commemorate this milestone, a collection of international food standards to ensure safety and quality in the food trade, FSSAI in association with FICCI organised a seminar on ‘India Celebrates 60 Year of Codex on 27th October 2023 in Delhi.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an international organisation set jointly by FAO and WHO in the year 1963 to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the National Codex Contact Point for India.
The event witnessed the presence of some of the eminent names which included Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Chairperson, FSSAI; G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI and Raj Rajasekar, Vice Chairperson, CAC.
Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, MoHFW and Chairperson, FSSAI, stressed upon the need for a
science-based framework and that active participation from developing nations cannot be overlooked. Pant assured that the Indian government is “fully cognisant of the need to bring food regulations in line with modern times”, and a new Food Safety Bill (amendment to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006) is almost ready. He added, “Efforts are underway to table it in the upcoming Parliament session.”
G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI, addressed the pressing issues surrounding changing food habits and the emerging challenges associated with cutting-edge food innovations.
Raj Rajasekar, Vice Chairperson of the CAC, highlighted the remarkable expansion of Codex, from its origins as a small group of developed countries to a robust organisation with 188 member countries and one-member organisation.