Ensuring Safe Consumption: FSSAI's Role in Consumer Protection

Over 500 complaints have been filed regarding food and beverage safety, as addressed by the government. The FSSAI, established in 2008, ensures safe consumption standards. Significant penalties are in place for substandard, misbranded, and unsafe foods. Consumer protections have improved with mobile testing labs and online complaint platforms.

The government reported that a total of 533 complaints have been lodged under the food and beverage category in consumer commissions over the past two years. This was disclosed by BL Verma, the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in a written response to the Rajya Sabha.

Established in 2008, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was created to establish science-based standards for food articles and to regulate their production, storage, distribution, sale, and import. This is done to ensure that only safe and wholesome food is available for human consumption.

The Food Safety and Standards Act allows for penal actions against substandard, misbranded, and unsafe food products. FSSAI regularly conducts surveillance, monitoring, inspections, and random sampling through its regional offices, and takes necessary actions against those found violating the regulations.

(With inputs from agencies.)