Now, Optimal Use Of Regulatory Manpower With New Risk Based Inspection System
New Delhi, 30 March 2021:
The FSSAI has said that to optimally utilise the limited regulatory manpower with states and focus on high risk food businesses, it has developed a comprehensive Risk Based Inspection System (RBIS).
Replying to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health (which has tabled action taken report on its recommendation in Parliament recently) the apex food regulator has said that under RBIS, food businesses are categorised according to risk involved which forms the basis for prioritisation and frequency of inspection.
The data of RBIS has been shared with states and UTs and they have been requested and advised to start carrying out inspections of FBOs' premises based on their risk based classification of licence or registration data.
The FSSAI added that for better monitoring of FBOs, the proposed Food Compliance System (FoSCoS) will take care of the comprehensive reports being sought that will help in better FBOs’ monitoring while huge data is being collected through the implementation of the FoSCoRIS and this data availability will help in the better monitoring of the FBOs.
Besides, FSSAI has developed an IT Solution platform for India Food Laboratory Network (INFOLNET).
“This Laboratory Management System (LMS) is a centralised system that connects and collates the network of laboratories. The information on the INFOLNET would help categorise laboratories on a fit for purpose basis i.e., for regulatory requirements, routine testing, appellate testing etc. This LMS will also be a one stop portal for gathering information pertaining to a food testing laboratory, ranging from ownership details, infrastructure availability, technical capacity, scope of testing through to test results of different samples”, reads the FSSAI’s response to the committee.
Further, FSSAI has asked states and UTs to undertake surveys of milk and oils (trans fatty acid). The samples will be sent for analysis only to those of the private laboratories which are on INFOLNET. Recently, FSSAI has also placed a Staging Server, on trial, in order to integrate the Food Import Certification System (FICS) with INFoLNeT and the authorised officers are checking the effectiveness of the system in collaboration with some of the laboratories that are carrying out imported food testing.
The Committee had made recommendations that a risk based inspection programme should be inducted. The inspectors should maintain a proper record of the inspections conducted and all the states and UTs should establish an electronic database of food failures and testing reports.
Meanwhile, with respect to the outbreak of foodborne diseases and other related issues, the FSSAI replied that it has issued a direction to Food Safety Commissioners for requesting Health Secretaries to nominate the Food Safety Officer (FSO) of each district as member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) under Integrated Diseases Surveillance Program (IDSP) who will undertake the activities mentioned therein. This direction would enable state authorities to receive communication with respect to foodborne illness incidents/outbreaks, as and when they occur, and take appropriate actions accordingly.
Further, in order to have a fully functional and robust system for monitoring of foodborne illnesses, FSSAI along with WHO is developing a platform with facility to generate alerts as and when foodborne illness incidents are reported and take appropriate and quick action, and also create a database of all foodborne diseases/incidences reported in the country.
This will be integrated with Integrated Health Information Services (IHIS) platform which is already being developed by WHO in coordination with IDSP under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.Food And Beverage News