New food safety rules to be implemented in 2010

New Delhi, Nov 2: A new food safety rule will be implemented in 2010 against the existing food safety provision based on Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The new regulations will include licensing of street vendors through registration at the Panchayat or Municipality, appointment of food officers who will be incharge of surveillance and preparation of reports on consumer friendly food products and the setting up of State-level Special food court.

"We have already suggested to states to set up separate Food Safety Department and each of them would monitor food processing in their respective areas,"said PI Suvarathan, Chairperson of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The special food court will handle the 1,00,000 pending cases on food processor for violation of Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act. Each of these court will have a public prosecutor,additional public prosecutor and special public prosecutor.

The draft prepared by a 14 member panel will also include a scientific committee to analyse the various aspects of food processing, including the classification of food processing into high-risk products like meat,edible oil, milk etc and low risk such as rice.

OneIndia News