Strict enforcement leading to food safety improvement: FSSAI

A report compiled by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India revealed that an amount of more than Rs 32 crore in 2018-19 was imposed as a penalty for unsafe, substandard and labelling defects on food and strict enforcement on food safety across India has helped the regulators to do so.

New Delhi:Strict enforcement on food safety across India has helped the regulators to impose the penalty of more than Rs 32 crore in 2018-19.

A report compiled by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that during the year 2018-19, a total of 1,06,459 samples were analysed.

"While 3.7 per cent of these samples were found to be unsafe, 15.8 per cent were found to be sub-standard and 9 per cent samples had labelling defects," the FSSAI report said.

This is the first year that the data has been compiled for unsafe, substandard and labelling defects separately.

"This would help support food safety authorities to take precious corrective and preventive action," the report said.

The report further said that there has been a 36 per cent increase in civil cases launched and a 67 per cent increase in the number of cases where penalties were imposed.

The amount of penalties imposed has increased by 23 per cent during 2018-19 compared to the previous year.

A total amount of Rs 32.58 crore has been realised during 2018-19.

In 2017-18, the penalties amounted to Rs 26 crore whereas in 2016-17 an amount of Rs 17 crore has been realised from penalty, the report said.

The FSSAI report also highlighted states which did well as far as enforcement for improved for safety is concerned.

The FSSSI report has credited 10 states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh.

At the same time 10 states including Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Telangana and Uttarakhand have performed poorly, the report said.