Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has issued a press release encouraging States/ UTs to step up surveillance, monitoring, inspections and random sampling of food products to curb the spike in food poisoning and adulteration. The CEO, FSSAI highlighted this in the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) held under his chairmanship on 9th -10th March, 2023, at Panaji, Goa.
Key discussion points of the meeting included the increase in the quarterly targets of surveillance sampling from 15 to 30 and increase in quarterly inspection from 15 to 20, per Food Safety Officer (FSO). States/UTs have also been directed to ensure testing of 10 samples of milk per day by Food Safety on Wheel (FSW) available with them.
The States/UTs have been advised to plan their special surveillance drive considering the rise of food poisoning and adulteration cases of commonly consumed food products during the seasons like festivals, marriages, events etc. CEO also advised the States/UTs and Regional Offices to lift about 5 Lakh Samples by March 2024.
Additionally, FSSAI also encouraged States/UTs to organize Millet Melas and walkathons/cyclothons so that a target of 200 such events is reached by 31st March, 2024.
