Understanding Food Safety Standards: FSSAI, PFA, APEDA, BIS, HACCP & More

AMM January 12, 2025 8 min read

FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

1. Establishment:
   • FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
   • The Act consolidates various previous acts and orders related to food safety across different ministries and departments.
2. Purpose:
   • To lay down science-based standards for food articles.
3. Regulation Areas:
   • Manufacture of food products.
   • Storage of food items.
   • Distribution and sale of food.
   • Import of food products.
4. Objective:
   • To ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

PFA: Prevention of Food Adulteration Act

1. Purpose:
   • To prevent the adulteration of food.
2. Title:
   • Officially called the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
3. Coverage:
   • Applicable across the entire country of India.
4. Commencement:
   • Came into force on a date notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette.

APEDA: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority

1. Establishment:
   • Created by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act (1985).
2. Act Details:
   • The Act (2 of 1986) came into effect on 13th February 1986, as notified in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary: Part-II, Section 3(ii)).
3. Purpose:
   • Promotes and develops the export of agricultural and processed food products.
4. Replaced Entity:
   • APEDA replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).

BIS: The Bureau of Indian Standards

• Role:
  • BIS is the National Standards Body of India.
• Ministry:
  • Operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
• Establishment:
  • Created under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.
• Effective Date:
  • The Act came into effect on 23rd December 1986.

EIC: Export Inspection Council

• Role:
  • EIC is India's official export certification body.
• Purpose:
  • Ensures the quality and safety of products exported from India.
• Executive Head:
  • The Director of Inspection & Quality Control oversees daily operations.

MPEDA: The Marine Products Export Development Authority

1. Establishment:
   • Set up under an act of Parliament in 1972.
2. Origin:
   • Replaced the Marine Products Export Promotion Council, which was established in September 1961.
3. Formation Date:
   • MPEDA officially came into existence on 24th August 1972.

AGMARK: Agricultural Product Grading and Marking

1. Definition:
   • AGMARK is a certification mark for agricultural products in India, ensuring they meet approved quality standards.
2. Approval Authority:
   • Standards are approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, under the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers Welfare.
3. Ministry:
   • Operates under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
4. Legal Basis:
   • Enforced by the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act of 1937, amended in 1986.
5. Head Office:
   • Located in Faridabad, Haryana.

JECFA: Joint FAO/WHO Committee on Food Additives

1. Definition:
   • JECFA is an international scientific expert committee.
2. Administration:
   • Jointly administered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
3. Established:
   • Active since 1956.
4. Purpose:
   • Evaluates the safety of:
     • Food additives.
     • Contaminants.
     • Naturally occurring toxicants.
     • Residues of veterinary drugs in food.

JEMRA: The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment

1. Definition:
   • JEMRA is an international scientific expert body focusing on microbiological risk assessment.
2. Administration:
   • Jointly managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
3. Purpose:
   • Assesses microbiological risks in food to ensure safety and quality.
4. Key Focus:
   • Evaluates:
     • Safety and quality of water used in food production and processing.
     • Microbiological contaminants affecting food safety.
5. Example:
   • A Core Expert Meeting on water safety in food production was held from 14–18 May 2018.

JMPR: Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues

1. Definition:
   • JMPR is an international body that reviews pesticide residues in food.
2. Administration:
   • Jointly managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
3. Purpose:
   • Reviews pesticide residues, estimates maximum residue levels (MRLs), and evaluates toxicological data.
4. Focus Areas:
   • Estimation of acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for humans.
   • Assessment of pesticide safety in food.
5. History:
   • JMPR has been meeting regularly since 1963.

WTO: World Trade Organisation

1. Definition:
   • The WTO is the global organization governing trade rules between nations.
2. Core Function:
   • Oversees WTO agreements, negotiated by most trading nations and ratified by their parliaments.
3. Established:
   • 1 January 1995.
4. Location:
   • Geneva, Switzerland.

TBT: Technical Barriers to Trade

1. Definition:
   • TBTs are non-tariff barriers used by countries to regulate markets, protect consumers, or preserve natural resources.
2. Objective:
   • These measures aim to achieve various goals, but they can also be seen as protectionist, discriminating against imports to safeguard domestic industries.

SPS: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

1. Definition:
   • Sanitary (for protecting human and animal health) and Phytosanitary (for protecting plant health) measures are applied to ensure food safety and agricultural health.
2. Agreement:
   • The SPS Agreement is an international treaty under the World Trade Organization (WTO).
3. History:
   • It was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and came into effect with the establishment of the WTO in 1995.

RUCO: Repurpose Used Cooking Oil

1. Regulation:
   • From 1st July, 2018, all Food Business Operators (FBOs) are mandated to monitor oil quality during frying.
2. Purpose:
   • Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) is an initiative to create an ecosystem for the collection and conversion of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) into biodiesel.

HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point

1. Definition:
   • A systematic preventive approach to food safety, addressing biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes.
2. Goal:
   • To identify risks that could make the finished product unsafe and implement measures to reduce these risks to a safe level.

GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice

1. Definition:
   • A system to ensure products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards.
2. Purpose:
   • Designed to minimize risks in pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated by testing the final product.

GLP: Good Laboratory Practice

1. Definition:
   • A quality system of management controls for research laboratories to ensure uniformity, consistency, reliability, reproducibility, quality, and integrity of chemical and non-clinical safety tests (including pharmaceuticals).
2. History:
   • Introduced in New Zealand and Denmark in 1972, later in the US in 1978.
   • The introduction was in response to the Industrial BioTest Labs scandal.
   • The OECD established the Principles of GLP in 1992, helping spread GLP globally.

GHP: Good Hygienic Practice

1. Definition:
   • A set of practices performed to preserve health and prevent the spread of diseases.
2. WHO Definition:
   • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases."
3. Personal Hygiene:
   • Refers to maintaining the cleanliness of the body to promote health and prevent infections.

GAP: Good Agricultural Practice

1. Definition:
   • Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) refers to specific methods used in agriculture to produce safe and wholesome food for consumers or further processing.
2. Standards:

   • While definitions of GAP vary, there are several broadly accepted schemes that producers can follow to ensure their agricultural practices meet safety and quality standards.