Steps taken to Strengthen Food Safety, Food Quality Monitoring and Consumer Protection
Steps taken to Strengthen Food Safety, Food Quality Monitoring and Consumer Protection
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments.
While the FSSAI, is responsible for laying down science-based standards and ensuring overall coordination, the State Food Safety Authorities are primarily responsible for enforcement at the field level. Designated officers (DOs) and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) under the Commissioner of Food Safety in the States/UTs are entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of FSS Act, 2006. State/UT-wise details of Enforcement Samples analysed, found non-conforming and penal action taken during last three years are attached at Annexure.
FSSAI has developed Risk Based Inspection System (RBIS) where frequency of inspection is decided based on risk associated with Food businesses and issued guidelines. Annual inspections are to be conducted for all food categories identified as high risk. The details of risk-based inspections carried out are as follows:
Financial Year
Total Risk-based Inspection conducted
2022-23
11904
2023-24
18098
2024-25
26267
Furthermore, all the Food Business Operators (FBOs) (general manufacturing) holding the Central License have to undergo the Third Party Audit from FSSAI empanelled agencies once a year.
FSSAI extends financial and technical assistance to States/UTs for strengthening food safety infrastructure in the country. The support includes the following:
In the States/UTs, 2,997 Food Safety Officers and 668 Designated Officers are working.
Appropriate punitive actions have been taken, in accordance with the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006, against non-compliant Food Business Operators (FBOs). This includes issuance of Improvement Notices under Section 32 of the Act, followed by further action, such as suspension or cancellation of the license in cases of non-compliance. In addition, actions such as penalties, adjudication proceedings, or prosecution have been taken under the relevant provisions of the Act, depending upon the nature and gravity of the violation detected during inspection.
Additionally, FSSAI has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which focus on ensuring transparency, accuracy, and consumer awareness. These regulations mandate clear and detailed labelling and display requirements for food products.
In order to restrict used cooking oil, FSSAI mandates FBO to maintain a record of UCO disposal if edible oil consumption for frying is more than 50 litres per day. Also, FSSAI, vide Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2017 has inserted the provision that “vegetable oil having developed Total Polar Compound more than 25% shall not be used”.
To strengthen the food regulatory ecosystem in the country, FSSAI has notified 252 food testing laboratories for analysis of food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the analysis of appellate samples. FSSAI has also provided funds for Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) referred to as “Food Safety on wheels” (FSW) to States/UTs. It is an important means to combat adulteration as FSWs are equipped with basic infrastructure for on-spot testing of adulteration in various food commodities. Currently, 305 FSWs are deployed across 35 States/UTs.
Further, for any food safety-related grievances, consumers/citizens can lodge a complaint/ grievance against the Food Business Operator on https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/consumergrievance/. Grievances may also be submitted via email at helpdesk-foscos@fssai.gov.in or compliance@fssai.gov.in or through the toll-free helpline 1800-11-2100.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
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HFW/Steps Taken for Food Safety, Food Quality Monitoring and Consumer Protection/13 March 2026/3
Annexure
State/UT wise details of Enforcement Samples analysed, found non-conforming and penal action taken during last 03 years
(2024-2025)
(2023-2024)
(2022-2023)
S. No.
State/UT
No. of Samples Analysed
Civil Cases
Criminal Cases
Cancelled License
No. of Samples Analysed
Civil Cases
Criminal Cases
Cancelled License
No. of Samples Analysed
Civil Cases
Criminal Cases
Cancelled License
Decided with Penalty
No. of Convictions
Decided with Penalty
No. of Convictions
Decided with Penalty
No. of Convictions
1
Andaman And Nicobar Islands
810
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1200
58
0
0
2
Andhra Pradesh
5984
464
8
15
6439
646
8
40
3607
339
12
64
3
Arunachal Pradesh
125
7
0
5
501
2
0
25
258
0
0
20
4
Assam
1705
0
0
19
1139
0
0
0
602
0
0
0
5
Bihar
2863
25
0
7
2806
79
0
10
2935
39
0
10
6
Chandigarh
374
116
41
5
311
87
52
1
473
27
8
4
7
Chhattisgarh
2069
143
6
1
1373
86
2
0
1468
119
8
0
8
Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu
56
0
0
0
185
0
0
0
164
13
0
0
9
Delhi
2624
18
16
1
3412
36
12
1
3133
86
10
0
10
Goa
1172
11
0
0
599
17
0
1
699
11
0
4
11
Gujarat
12387
859
91
8
15841
1701
65
7
14562
547
24
15
12
Haryana
2233
599
59
20
3485
593
47
15
4445
915
35
25
13
Himachal Pradesh
1587
471
0
3
1618
376
2
6
2720
93
1
9
14
Jammu & Kashmir
6955
1,239
29
17
9057
1612
22
19
13502
1592
15
42
15
Jharkhand
364
52
0
1
384
59
0
2
943
44
8
1
16
Karnataka
9371
283
32
34
5492
75
16
50
3416
191
15
56
17
Kerala
10767
1,088
206
40
10792
854
134
137
8533
454
33
90
18
Ladakh
417
38
0
0
638
19
0
1
220
23
0
0
19
Lakshadweep
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
20
Madhya Pradesh
13920
2,597
22
3
13998
1938
46
10
12507
1908
71
22
21
Maharashtra
5403
1,147
0
9
5087
154
0
4
11077
198
5
17
22
Manipur
126
2
0
1
168
0
0
0
169
0
0
3
23
Meghalaya
388
0
0
0
123
0
0
0
409
0
0
0
24
Mizoram
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
140
0
0
0
25
Nagaland
223
0
0
0
138
3
0
1
109
0
0
1
26
Orissa
2282
27
0
2
2003
0
0
24
1368
47
0
40
27
Puducherry
173
0
0
0
31
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
28
Punjab
4131
333
8
1
6041
1204
102
0
8179
1404
5
1
29
Rajasthan
13840
3,114
30
2
18536
2181
12
0
13184
2435
4
1
30
Sikkim
254
0
0
0
231
0
0
0
279
4
0
0
31
Tamil Nadu
18071
1,536
492
7
18146
2195
478
36
24188
3714
678
47
32
Telangana
3347
125
0
1
6156
425
0
6
4809
315
0
9
33
Tripura
123
0
0
0
87
0
0
0
31
0
0
0
34
Uttar Pradesh
30380
14,920
215
16
27750
14627
163
9
30140
13148
251
50
35
Uttarakhand
1509
256
4
1
1998
332
0
1
1839
507
5
1
36
West Bengal
14502
672
6
0
5948
285
0
2
6203
233
0
0
Total
170535
30142
1265
220
170513
29586
1161
408
177511
28464