FSSAI files over one lakh cases against spurious protein powders and dietary supplements: Centre

Samples of food items, including protein powder and dietary supplements, are drawn by State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognised by FSSAI for analysis. In cases where samples are found to be non-conforming to the provisions of the Act, recourse is taken to penal provisions under the FSS Act, said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has registered 1,04,786 civil and criminal cases in the last three years over the selling of substandard and unsafe protein powders and dietary supplements, the Health Ministry has informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. “Samples of food items, including protein powder and dietary supplements, are drawn by State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognised by FSSAI for analysis. In cases where samples are found to be non-conforming to the provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations made, recourse is taken to penal provisions under the FSS Act,” said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

He said that the implementation and enforcement of provisions under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations, primarily lies with the State governments and UTs. “To ensure compliance with these provisions, State governments and UTs take up surveillance, monitoring and inspection activities,” Mandaviya said in a written reply.

He informed that FSSAI in March this year, has directed the Commissioner of Food Safety of all States and UTs, Central Licensing Authorities and Regional Directors to carry out special enforcement drives for various Nutraceutical and Health Supplements products sold in the market which are not in compliance with the provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.

“During the said enforcement drive, 1,326 samples were lifted across the country and 1,229 were sent to laboratories for testing. As per the reports received, 202 samples have been found non-compliant to respective food product standards and action has been taken as per the penal provisions under FSS Act,” Mandaviya stated.

The FSSAI is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Referring to the steps taken by FSSAI to create awareness among consumers about safety from all sorts of adulterated and spurious food items including dietary supplements, Mandaviya said that FSSAI has introduced mobile food testing vans called Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) not only to take testing facilities to the remotest corners of the country but also serve as vehicles for creating awareness regarding food safety and hygiene practices. “FSSAI has created a Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART) booklet, which is a compilation of common quick tests for detection of food adulterants at home by citizens themselves,” the Minister said.