India steps up food safety enforcement nationwide
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Food safety officials in India are conducting more frequent and public inspections of food businesses across the country.
Since 2020, inspectors have annually tested over 100,000 food samples, finding around 20% unsafe or improperly labeled. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has cancelled nearly 8,000 food business licenses in the last three years and recently increased its public reporting of enforcement actions, including raids on facilities and seizures of adulterated products.
Tukaram Mundhe, the food commissioner of Maharashtra state, has gained public attention for inspecting major chains like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s, and for uncovering a warehouse where PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Unilever were altering expiry dates and nutritional information on products intended for export. Canada is currently evaluating any potential risks to its imported goods.
India is also considering front-of-pack warning labels to indicate high levels of sugar, salt, and fat, a measure that has faced resistance from the food industry. While health advocates criticize the proposed labels as too lenient, industry groups claim the standards are too strict and would cover most packaged foods. The Supreme Court of India will review the labeling proposal on September 10.
