FSSAI Plans Real-Time Food Surveillance Amid Festive Season
FSSAI and BMC partner to provide Food Safety Training to over 10,000 Street Food vendors in Mumbai
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced plans for real-time surveillance, sampling, and analysis of various food items, including spices, milk, and milk products. FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao outlined the initiative as part of efforts to ensure food safety and quality across the nation during the festive season.
This move follows Hong Kong’s detection of ethylene oxide in pre-packaged spice products from MDH and Everest. FSSAI has also engaged with quick-commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart to strengthen food safety protocols in delivery services.
Food Safety Challenges and Plans
Rao highlighted the need for improved hygiene practices among food handlers and emphasized the importance of maintaining food safety during transportation. He acknowledged challenges, including limited staffing and awareness, as the FSSAI oversees over 7.5 million Food Business Operators (FBOs) nationwide.
The FSSAI is enhancing state-level surveillance and has proposed setting up additional offices to improve oversight. Surveillance plans include monitoring oils, honey, spices, grains, pulses, and dairy products, supported by a dashboard for live tracking and analysis.
Training and Global Collaboration
FSSAI aims to train 2.5 million fish handlers over the next three years while continuing efforts to educate food handlers on hygiene standards. Internationally, the authority has established MoUs with neighboring countries like Nepal, Maldives, and Bangladesh to improve food safety frameworks and regulatory processes.
Ensuring Quality in Imports
FSSAI reported rejecting over 350 food consignments last year due to safety violations. It has developed a **Food Import Rejection Alert (FIRA) Portal** to enhance traceability and transparency in monitoring unsafe imported foods.
Through these measures, FSSAI aims to build a robust food safety ecosystem and foster consumer confidence.
