Short Description In the Indian context, food safety, although strictly enforced and adhered to by all professional establishments, is a matter of concern because of the lack of organization in the industry throughout the geographical landscape of the country.

The basis of hospitality industry around the world is Food and Beverage and their production and service aspects. Therefore it is imperative for all establishments to not just set up their own means and measures to ensure food safety at all times, but also follow the direction of various government regulations put in force by specific departments, set up to monitor the same.

The Indian context food safety, though strictly enforced and adhered to by all professional establishments, is a source of concern because of the lack of organization in the industry across the entire geographic area of the nation. The government has taken a number of measures to ensure there are the right regulations and systems in place to establish guidelines and enforce similar to those of the Food Safety & Standards Act (FSSA) 2006.

The Food Safety & Standards Act (FSSA) 2006 consolidates the laws regarding the rules to be adhered to in all restaurants in India and also establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is the leading food regulator that sets the scientific basis for standards applicable to all food items and regulate their production and distribution and importation to ensure the availability of healthy and safe foods for consumption by humans. FSSAI is authorized by and is a part of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

According to the FSSAI guidelines, food products are classified under two headings which are the standardised and exclusive food. The latter are food items for which the standards are established but do not need approval prior to manufacturing distribution, sale or importation. A first-time manufacturer or importer is only required to obtain an FSSAI license to establish a food-related business.

Proprietary food products don’t have any standards due to their safety standards not being established or established. Although FSSAI currently has 377 products, FCS will be based around 18 categories in the beginning to begin with, which will include categories 1-16, which covers a variety of food types. They are complemented by category 17 to include the products that aren’t classified in category 1-16. Additionally, category 99 was developed to address the foods that contain ingredients that are not food-related, such as minerals, vitamins and additives, for example. However, traditional foods don’t need approval from the manufacturer since they are consumed over long periods of time, with their ingredients and methods of preparation known. If they do use any technology that is new or a modern technique of preparation or modifications to their food ingredients or additives, they must request approval for the product from FSSAI.

It is the Indian food safety regulations that is implemented by the FSSAI is primarily founded in Codex Alimentarius, which was created through collaboration between two departments within the United Nations: World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which means that it is a adherence to international guidelines and standards ( reference link). In accordance with these guidelines, there are a set of best practices implemented through the FSSAI for every operator involved in the food industry to implement and adhere to. A few of them are

Hygiene and safety in food is a complicated subject which is why both the private and public businesses are taking the necessary steps to ensure the top quality ingredients and food products are provided to customers. However, it is equally important for consumers to make sure that they follow the appropriate steps to purchase food items from only trusted and accredited sources at all times.