FSSAI to rein in wayward food security officers
Majority food security commissioners across India taking undue advantage of Food Safety and Standards Act-2006 and acting in a biased way; FSSAI request the Commissioners of Food Security and FSSAI RDs to advise FSOs to ensure proper analysis is done before exercising their power of seizure
New Delhi: The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has requested the Commissioners of Food Security of all States and Union Territories (UTs) as well as FSSAI Regional Directors to streamline the functioning of food security officers (FSOs) and designated officers under them.
The issue is the indiscriminate and unbridled seizure of articles of food by FSOs. Section 38 (1) (c) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, empowers FSOs to seize any article of food which appears to be in contravention of the FSS Act.
However, FSSAI has noticed that the power to seize articles of food is being resorted to by FSOs even in the cases of minor violations and without any reasonable grounds to believe that the said articles are adulterated, or unsafe, official sources told Bizz Buzz.
It has also come to the notice of the FSSAI that multiple samplings of the same lot, but in different packages is also done to complete the sampling targets by FSOs.
Therefore, FSSAI has requested the Commissioners of Food Security and FSSAI Regional Directors to advise FSOs to ensure due diligence before exercising their power of seizure. FSOs should also 'strictly adhere' to the procedural requirements as stipulated under the FSS Act and rules concerned.
The FSSAI wants the Commissioners of Food Security and FSSAI Regional Directors to ensure that any arbitrary and unreasonable seizures are dealt in a stringent and effective manner.
The regulatory body has also directed the Commissioners of Food Security and FSSAI Regional Directors that FSOs and designated officers are trained regularly on the procedural aspects and legal proceedings under the FSS Act.
It may be recalled that there have been reports of FSOs seeking bribes. In April, an FSO was arrested in Assam's Nagaon district for allegedly accepting a bribe for issuing an FSSAI licence.
One of the FSOs, along with a private person, was arrested in Mumbai in October last year for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs40,000 from a grocery shop owner.
