FSSAI strengthens measures to prevent food adulteration across India

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has intensified its efforts to prevent food adulteration and ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for consumers. The regulatory body, mandated under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 , lays down science-based standards for food articles and coordinates enforcement with State and UT Food Safety Authorities. While FSSAI sets standards and provides overall coordination, field-level enforcement is primarily the responsibility of State authorities.

To ensure compliance, FSSAI conducts surveillance, inspection, monitoring, and random sampling of food products. The authority also carries out localized and targeted enforcement drives to verify adherence to statutory requirements and food safety standards.

Strengthening the country’s food testing infrastructure is a key component of these efforts. FSSAI has notified 246 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration (NABL) laboratories for primary analysis of food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for appellate analyses. In addition, to address gaps in testing facilities in remote areas and improve consumer access, Mobile Food Testing Laboratories , known as Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs) , have been deployed. Currently, 305 FSWs operate across 35 States and UTs , conducting basic tests for common adulterants. Beyond testing, these mobile units play a vital role in raising awareness about food safety and providing training programmes to local stakeholders.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav , informed the Rajya Sabha that these measures, combining stringent enforcement, robust testing, and awareness initiatives, aim to safeguard public health and uphold food safety standards nationwide. Enforcement actions on food adulteration cases for the fiscal years 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 are documented in official annexures.

With these steps, FSSAI continues to strengthen the nation’s capacity to detect, prevent, and act against food adulteration, ensuring that safe and quality food reaches consumers even in remote regions.