N4S

India’s evolving food safety framework highlights the need for science-based regulation, ethical accountability, and inclusive reforms. 

UPSC often frames food processing within broader governance and ethical challenges, as seen in the 2015 PYQ. Aspirants falter by limiting answers to FSSAI or schemes, missing the ethical-institutional depth. This article fills that gap by showing India’s shift from adulteration checks to risk-based regulation, highlighting ethical dilemmas like justice and affordability, and grounding concepts through real industry examples – from Domino’s kitchens to Zomato hygiene ratings – making food safety a lived issue, not just a regulatory one.

PYQ ANCHORING

GS 3:  What are the impediments in marketing and supply chain management in developing the food processing industry in India? Can e-commerce help in overcoming these bottlenecks? [2015]

MICROTHEMES: Food Processing Sector

World Food Safety Day 2025 was observed recently, with the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action.” The day marked an important moment to reflect on India’s progress in food safety regulations and also brought attention to the areas where more improvement is needed.

About World Food Safety Day 2025

The theme for this year is “Food Safety: Science in Action.” It highlights how science plays a critical role in making our food safe – from identifying risks to setting safety standards and building consumer trust.

Evolution of India’s food safety approach 

India’s food regulation has seen a significant shift over the years:

1. From Adulteration to Risk-Based Regulation

Earlier, India followed the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, which mostly focused on checking whether food was adulterated.
In 2006, the Food Safety and Standards Act was introduced. It created the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), which uses a scientific and risk-based approach. This approach looks at possible risks to health and tries to prevent them before they become serious.

2. Adoption of International Scientific Standards

India has aligned many of its rules with international norms – especially those by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a global food standards body.
For example, India now uses scientific definitions like Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) when deciding how much of a chemical (like a pesticide) is safe in food.

3. Focus on India-Specific Scientific Data

India is working to build its own scientific capacity – by conducting Total Diet Studies (TDS) and toxicology research that reflect Indian food habits and environments.

• Toxicology studies are scientific evaluations used to understand how chemicals, additives, or contaminants can affect human health. These studies are essential in deciding what amounts of such substances are safe in our food.
• Global data can’t always be applied directly to India. Here’s why:
  • Different food habits: For example, Indians may eat more rice, lentils, or spices compared to Western diets. 
  • Unique farming practices: The pesticides or fertilizers used, and how they’re applied, vary in India. This affects residue levels on crops.
  • Local environmental and genetic factors: Groundwater contamination and climate factors also change how toxins may affect health.

Because of these differences, India-specific studies are critical to make sure food safety rules are relevant and effective.

Role of Food Service Industry in ensuring safety

Food safety is no longer just a regulatory requirement, but a critical trust factor for consumers. With the growing popularity of dining out, food delivery apps, and cloud kitchens, the food service industry plays a central role in ensuring that what reaches the consumer is not just tasty but also safe.

Ethical Dilemmas Involved in Food Service and Safety

• Assigning responsibility for safety: Who should take responsibility to prevent and control foodborne diseases and outbreaks?
  • According to WHO, 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die every year from eating unsafe food.
• Financial Constraints vs. Food Safety: How to balance costs and benefits of food safety measures, especially for small-scale producers and processors and at the same time comply with food safety standards.
• Diverse Individual choices: How to respect the autonomy and preferences of consumers, who may have different tastes or choices.
• Protecting genuine stakeholders: Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of individuals or businesses involved in foodborne incidents, without compromising the public interest or accountability.
• Universal application of safety standards: Another important ethical issue is how to ensure that food services and safety measures are fair and equitable, and not discriminate against certain groups based on socioeconomic status, culture, or geography.

About Food Ethics

Food ethics concerns the morality of food production and consumption. Food service ethics encompasses moral principles and standards that guide behaviour in the food service industry and across the food value chain.

Key principles of food service ethics

• Justice: From a Social justice point of view, the ethics of food safety involves justice for food providers as well as consumers (Access, Security and Affordability of safe and nutritious food).
• Autonomy: It means having the freedom to choose how food is produced and distributed (autonomy in Supply Chains), while also respecting consumers’ ability to make their own decisions (transparency via Labels).
• Non-maleficence: In the context of food safety, non-maleficence encompasses:
  • Taking steps to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses, 
  • Avoiding harmful practices, such as using unsafe additives, pesticides, 
  • Addressing and rectifying safety concerns,
  • Being transparent about food sourcing and production methods etc.
• Accountability and Transparency: It involves Responsibility for Food Safety, Addressing Customer Feedback, and Communication with Stakeholders among others. 

Way Forward

1. Simplify Scientific Terms: Terms like MRLs or ADI can be confusing. Instead of saying “0.1 mg/kg,” regulators can explain it as a level that’s safe for lifelong consumption in regular amounts of food.

2. Update Outdated Labels: Instead of warning labels that no longer match scientific understanding, provide fact-based, easy-to-understand information. For example, MSG labels can be reworded to say that it is safe in normal quantities for everyone except infants.

3. Engage with the Public Transparently: People are more likely to trust food rules when they understand why they were made. That means regulators should talk openly with consumers, media, and industry, especially when new rules are introduced—such as changes to pesticide limits or food additives.

4. Push digital traceability: From farm to plate, especially for processed foods.

5. Greater inter-agency coordination: Between FSSAI, state departments, BIS, and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

#BACK2BASICS: Food Safety Regulatory Governance

It is the framework of laws, institutions, rules, and procedures designed to:

• Regulate food businesses from farm to fork,
• Ensure safety, hygiene, and quality of food,
• Prevent contamination, adulteration, and misleading labels,
• Protect public health and consumer rights.

The Main Regulator :  Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

• Established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Acts as the apex body for food regulation.

FSSAI’s Core Functions:

Supporting Institutions

Legal and Policy Framework

Initiatives by FSSAI

1. Eat Right India Movement: Aims to ensure safe, healthy, and sustainable food for all, aligned with the National Health Policy 2017.

2. Eat Right Station Certification: Awarded to railway stations that meet food safety benchmarks under the FSS Act, 2006.

3. Food Hygiene Rating Scheme: Certifies food outlets based on hygiene standards for on-premise and off-premise consumption.

4. Food Safety Mitra Scheme: Trains individuals (FSMs) to assist food businesses with licensing, hygiene audits, and training.

5. State Food Safety Index: Ranks states based on five parameters: compliance, manpower, food testing, training, and consumer awareness.

Key Challenges

SMASH MAINS MOCK DROP

In the context of India’s growing food service industry, discuss the role of science-based regulation and food ethics in ensuring food safety. How can regulatory reforms balance the interests of consumers, small producers, and global food standards?