Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the apex body in the country which takes care of the quality and safety standards with respect to raw, processed and packaged food products in the country. It is a statutory body established via the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and comes under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

It has been established for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. As per these standards, use of additives, microbial load, levels of heavy metals and pesticides are monitored for local and imported food products in the country. The law enforcement is managed through its own mechanism.

FSSAI had issued the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 which prescribe the quality and safety standards, respectively for food products.