Entrusted with the task of checking food adulteration and ensuring food security and quality, the performance of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has itself come under the scanner with the country’s auditor finding gaping loopholes in its functioning.
These range from systemic inefficiencies, delays and deficiencies in the framing of various regulations and standards to inadequate enforcement activities relating to licensing, registration, inspection, sampling and prosecution, according to the performance audit report on Implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 which was tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday.
The Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report noted that most of the state food laboratories entrusted with food testing and certification functions, were not only ill equipped but also did not possess the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation.
“Enforcement activities relating to licensing, registration, inspection, sampling and prosecution were inadequate. FSSAI failed to finalise the recruitment regulations and there were irregularities in the appointment of contractual employees,” it said.
A test check by audit of 5 State licensing authorities and 3 central licensing authorities found that in 3,119 out of 5,915 test checked cases licensed had been issued to FBOs (food business operators) on the basis of incomplete documents, it added.
Criticising the regulator over quality of testing, the CAG said: “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.”
On imports, the auditor said the FSSAI failed to ensure that the customs authorities follow up the ‘Non-Conformance Reports’ issued by the regulator, and take appropriate action to ensure that unsafe foods do not enter the country.
The CAG said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the FSSAI are yet to frame regulations governing various procedures, guidelines and mechanisms as prescribed in this law, which was enacted more than a decade ago.