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Pan-India Surveillance of food products conducted by FSSAI, especially on staple foods and commodities prone to adulteration
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) through its regional offices and State/ Union Territories conducts regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection, and random sampling of food products. In cases where food samples are found to be non-conforming, penal action is taken against the defaulting Food Business Operators as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations.
To extend the reach of basic testing facilities even in remote areas, FSSAI has provided mobile food testing labs called Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs). FSSAI also conducts periodic Pan-India Surveillance of food products, especially on staple foods and commodities that are prone to adulteration.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
FSSAI has also established mechanisms for receiving and addressing complaints related to food adulteration. Consumers can lodge complaints through the FSSAI helpline or Food Safety Connect mobile app, which are promptly investigated and acted upon as per FSS Act, Rules and Regulations. Further, FSSAI has launched various campaigns to raise consumer awareness about food adulteration.
| Year | No. of Samples Analysed | No. of Samples found non-conforming | No. of Civil Cases launched | No. of Criminal Cases launched |
| 2020-21 | 1,07,829 | 28,347 | 24,195 | 3,869 |
| 2021-22 | 1,44,345 | 32,934 | 28,906 | 4,946 |
| 2022-23 | 1,77,511 | 44,626 | 38,053 | 4,817 |
| 2023-24 | 1,70,513 | 33,808 | 33,750 | 4,737 |
As per the FSS Act 2006, no person can commence a food business without holding a license under the Act. Accordingly, petty food businesses such as petty retailers, hawkers, itinerant vendors temporary stall holders, etc with a turnover of less than 12 lakhs per annum have to take a registration certificate before starting any food business whereas food businesses having an annual turnover of more than 12 lakh need FSSAI license.
A Food Business Operator (FBO) submits an online application through the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal, providing necessary documents, undergoing an inspection by FSSAI officials at their premises, and upon approval, receiving a registration certificate or license depending on their business type and turnover.