FSSAI new initiatives could put an end to rampant food adulteration

Reality check

Ignorance, inability to afford quality food and lack of enforcement has resulted into rampant food adulteration and contamination in India. Food adulteration happens at each stage of food supply chain ecosystem. Causes are not just limited to adding pesticides, using contaminated water during production, using chemicals to ripen the produce, using drugs to get maximum yield, adding harmful preservatives, poor cooking and storage techniques, fungal growth and cross contamination during storage.
Poor enforcement of food safety standards has resulted into malnutrition, rise in per capita hospital expenditure and rise in premature deaths. However new initiatives proposed by FSSAI could put an end to rampant food adulteration. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed a scheme for Strengthening of Food Testing Laboratories in India. Scheme if approved has six well defined initiatives that will strengthen virtually non existing food adulteration testing infrastructure in place. Scheme consists of:

Strengthening State Food TestingLaboratories.

Incentivising States to use facilities available in FSSAI notified private Labs.

Developing food testing culture in schools / colleges.

Support Mobile Food Labs.

Strengthen Referral Food Testing Laboratories.