The All India Food Processors Association (AIFPA) welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of India quashing the Product Approval Advisory (dated 11.05.2013 ) issued by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) .
In a statement, Amit Dhanuka , President of AIFPA said, “The consumers were deprived of new and innovative products and that shall now be able to come to the market in the festival season(made out of already approved safe ingredients).”
The association said that the whole process of product approval was,” retrograde in nature and is not prevalent in any other reputed/comparable standard in any country.”
It also said that with the recent developments in the country and the food processors approaching various courts in the country for the redressal of their problems, “it is high time that the regulator review the entire working to enable the food industry to work in peace and harmony to produce safe and wholesome food for the consumer.”
“It is expected that keeping in view the difficulties of the processed food industry, food regulator will take pragmatic and positive views of the whole food industry and will re-impose Product Approval System in the country which if re-imposed by Notification will be disastrous for the food industry,” the AIFPA statement added.