Government Reports Over 7,700 Food Safety Complaints in 2024-25, Nearly 6,000 Resolved
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, March 11 (NationPress) In the fiscal year 2024-25, over 7,700 complaints concerning food adulteration and safety were lodged, with approximately 6,000 complaints resolved, as reported to Parliament on Wednesday.
During a written response in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs B. L. Verma detailed that complaints about food safety are submitted via the online portal managed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Government statistics indicate that in 2022-23, there were 4,330 complaints, with 4,074 resolved.
The following year saw a rise in the number of complaints to 4,735, with 3,993 cases addressed. This trend continued into 2024-25, where 7,705 complaints were recorded and 5,952 were resolved.
Complaints are filed through the Food Safety Connect platform, which operates under the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS).
Once a complaint is lodged, relevant Designated Officers, Food Safety Officers, and food business operators gain online access to the issue, as explained by the minister.
“Regulatory actions in response to such complaints are executed by the respective state food safety departments in line with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” Verma added.
The minister also mentioned that the food regulator has the responsibility to establish science-based standards for food items and oversee their manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import to guarantee consumer safety.
However, the actual enforcement is primarily conducted by state food safety authorities through designated officers and food safety officers.
To ensure adherence to food safety standards, the regulator undertakes inspections, sampling, and targeted enforcement campaigns via its regional offices and state authorities.
This includes initiatives under the National Annual Surveillance Plan along with other monitoring efforts.
The authority has also launched a Risk Based Inspection System, which determines the inspection frequency based on the risk level associated with various food products.
If any safety standard violations are detected, food business operators may face regulatory or punitive measures under the Food Safety and Standards Act.