THE USER'S MANUAL ON CODEX - Department of Biotechnology

MODULE 4
THE USER’S MANUAL ON CODEX
A Contemporary Approach to Food Quality and Safety Standards
INTRODUCTION
India’s Current Food
Control System
Governments have the responsibility for the establishment and operation of national food safety programs
and quality control systems that must ensure safe and wholesome food that meet the nutritional needs
of consumers and do not endanger the consumer’s health through chemical, biological or other
contaminants. They must also ensure that food sold is presented in an honest and non-deceptive or
non-fraudulent manner. Consumer protection and the prevention of food-borne diseases are two essential
elements of a food safety program and they are the shared responsibilities of governments, the food
industry and the consumer.
The ‘food control system’ means the national, state and municipal organizations involved in either the
regulation, inspection or analysis of food and agricultural products, together with their supporting
legislation and rules and compliance activities.
A. FOOD LEGISLATION
1. PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT
In India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOH&FW) in the Central Government is the nodal
Ministry for ensuring the quality and safety of food marketed in the country. A comprehensive legislation
called the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA Act) has been enacted in 1954, which came into
effect from June 1, 1955, with the objective of assuring the quality and safety of food as well as to
encourage fair trade practices.
The Act has been amended a number of times to make the provisions more practical and consumeroriented.
This Act is a significant piece of legislation in India as it is the basic statute intended to protect the
consumer from the supply of adulterated food and it specifies food safety and quality standards for
consumer protection. The definition of ‘adulteration’ includes the addition of cheaper or inferior substances
to deceive the consumer and the presence of contaminants which may make the food unfit for
human consumption. The objective of this legislation is, therefore, not only to ensure pure and wholesome
food to the consumers, but also to prevent fraud or deception. It lays down that no person shall
manufacture for sale, store, or distribute adulterated or misbranded food products not conforming
to the standards laid down in the rules. The provisions apply to imported food as well as to food produced
in India.
The overall infrastructure includes the local food inspectors, the public analysts, both at the municipal
and state levels, their laboratory facilities, the four central food laboratories designated under the PFA
Act and the central PFA Division in the MOH&FW in New Delhi. The central PFA Division is also designated
as the National Codex Contact Point for India.
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