At the 48th Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting in New Delhi, FSSAI CEO Shri Rajit Punhani directed States and UTs to prioritise consumer grievance redressal related to food safety through fortnightly reviews and transparent reporting. He emphasised daily sharing of enforcement actions to build consumer trust and accountability. The CEO also urged efficient use of high-end lab equipment, NABL accreditation of food labs, and data-driven, coordinated surveillance to strengthen India’s food safety framework.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Shri Rajit Punhani, has urged States and Union Territories to strengthen mechanisms for addressing consumer grievances related to food safety. He has emphasised that resolving consumer complaints promptly and conducting fortnightly reviews will be pivotal in enhancing public trust and consumer confidence.
Key points include:
- The CEO further instructed all States and UTs to report enforcement activities daily, including actions taken against non-compliant food businesses. He highlighted that proactive dissemination of such information not only improves transparency but also reinforces accountability across the national food safety network.
- He also stressed the importance of scientific rigor in food testing, urging States and UTs to ensure optimal utilization of High-End Equipment (HEE) and obtain NABL accreditation for their food laboratories to ensure greater reliability, uniformity, and scientific robustness in food testing across the country.
- The meeting also focused on simplifying licensing and registration processes, strengthening data-driven decision-making, and implementing centralised surveillance mechanisms for coordinated national-level insights into food safety trends.