Need for Safe Food Processing in India

Introduction

India’s food system faces a serious trust crisis. Street food, once a symbol of culture and livelihood, now raises safety doubts after raids exposed contaminated water and poor hygiene. At the same time, worries about pesticides, adulteration and sugar in processed foods are growing. These risks make safe, science-based food processing and stronger regulation central to protecting public health in both informal and packaged food sectors. Need for Safe Food Processing in India.

Concern related to food safety in India

1. Contamination: Food is contaminated through various means, including the rampant use of pesticides, antibiotics, and fertilizers, which introduce heavy metals and other harmful chemicals into the food chain.
2. Adulteration: Food adulteration is a significant problem, with deceptive labels being used to mislead consumers. This can include adding substances like wood dust, chili heads, or substandard oils to products, leading to chronic diseases like cancer and liver/kidney ailments.
3. Regulatory issues: Enforcement of food safety laws is often weak and inconsistent, and regulatory bodies have been criticized for lax supervision. There are also challenges with the clarity and simplicity of food safety standards, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.
4. Hygiene and sanitation: Inadequate sanitation in food preparation and storage areas, such as dirty sinks and poor disinfection procedures, creates high-risk environments for contamination. Improper food handling and storage practices, such as inadequate temperature control, are also common. For example, Raids on 58 pani puri stalls in Chennai using contaminated water and poor hygiene.
5. Public health burden: An Observer Research Foundation (ORF) estimates nearly 100 million food-borne illness cases and about 1,20,000 deaths annually, much of it linked to unsafe informal food sources.
6. High sugar content: Some reports highlight concerns about high sugar content in processed foods, such as baby food, which poses a risk to child health.

Initiative taken

1. Consolidate various earlier laws: The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) was enacted to consolidate various earlier laws dealing with food regulation, including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA).
2. Setting scientific limits for residues and additives: The FSSAI has notified Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides, safe limits for food additives and contaminants, and standards for veterinary drug residues, bringing Indian norms close to those of advanced economies by around 2020.
3. Adoption of a risk-based, Codex-aligned approach: FSSAI has moved to a risk-based regulation, drawing on international best practices, especially the Codex Alimentarius Commission, rather than treating all contaminants in a simple “adulterated / not adulterated” way.

Note: The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.

4. Organised regulation of packaged foods: The packaged food industry works under an FSSAI framework that covers sourcing, processing and packaging. These rules guide companies and help authorities monitor safety.
5. Safe processing methods: Techniques such as pasteurisation, vacuum sealing and aseptic packaging are used to control microbes and maintain quality. They support safe storage and wider distribution in different weather and cities.
6. Labels and health-based products: Ingredient lists, allergen warnings and manufacturing and expiry dates on packs give consumers information. Companies are also adding fortified options to address micronutrient gaps and respond to health concerns.
7. Food safety training for street vendors: FSSAI, with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, runs training on hygiene, safe handling, storage and waste disposal to bring street vendors into the safety net.

Way forward

1. Regulatory compliance: Adherence to regulations set by bodies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandatory to ensure products meet safety standards.
2. Hygienic practices: Businesses must implement strict hygiene protocols, including staff training on personal hygiene, safe handling, storage, and proper cleaning and sanitization.
3. Infrastructure and design: The physical environment of food processing plants must be designed for safety, with durable, easy-to-clean materials, proper pest control, and a layout that prevents contamination.
4. Quality control systems: Tools such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point help identify hazards at each step, fix control points and maintain records that track performance over time.
5. Supply chain management: Safety must continue beyond factories. Correct storage, temperature control and careful transport protect texture, flavour and microbiological quality till food reaches shops or homes.
6. Safer street food ecosystem: Campaigns like Eat Right India and Clean Street Food Hubs can expand training, licensing and stall grading so that vendors improve hygiene and customers judge options.
7. Shared responsibility: Regulators, companies, vendors and consumers each have a role: set rules, follow them, demand clean practices and choose safer options to support a healthier food system.

Conclusion

India’s food future cannot rest on taste and tradition alone. Contamination, adulteration, unsafe street food and risky processing demand firm laws, better hygiene and strong oversight. Science-based standards, safer packaged foods, trained vendors and national campaigns must work together so every plate, from roadside stall to factory-made snack, reflects a clear, shared commitment to safety.

Question for practice

Examine how unsafe practices in both street food and packaged food, along with regulatory and hygiene gaps, have created a food safety challenge in India.

Source: The Hindu