Testing times

It is a narrative that returns to haunt consumers every few years. And each time, the regulatory authorities have been caught on the wrong foot, reacting only when an issue gets highlighted in the media. When pesticide residues were found in bottled water, for instance, the norms were altered only after it became a major controversy. More recently, lead and mono sodium glutamate (MSG) were found in noodles, pastas and soup, and clarifications have only just been issued regarding MSG labelling on products. The latest report by the Centre for Science and Environment on the presence of potassium bromate and potassium iodate in our daily bread has literally struck at the heart of our breakfast tables. And the possibility of cancer and thyroid disorders linked to these additives makes it an unpleasant truth to digest. The intriguing question is, if the food industry knew of the possible carcinogenic links and the regulatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) scientific committee had red-flagged these additives, shouldn’t they have fast-tracked the elimination of these ingredients from mass-consumed foods?

It also does not help that like health, food too is a State subject, which means that policy implementation differs in various States. Though the direction on food is set by the FSSAI, its layered implementation puts a question mark over decisions taken to approve or reject products, additives, etc. The food authority needs to introduce transparency into its decision-making process. The Maggi incident is just one example of the grey areas that need working on. Questions remain unanswered as to how a Kolkata lab found high levels of lead, when the manufacturer insisted otherwise, and overseas regulators found Maggi samples acceptable, when Indian regulators found similar samples breaching prescribed norms. A transparent system that allows anyone seeking information on the working, processes and decisions of the FSSAI and its labs as well as that of State regulators to access it in a user-friendly manner will be a key step in building confidence among the general public.

The FSSAI also needs to learn to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing and expanding food market. From regular street food and ready-to-eat packed foods, imported foods and so on, to packaged spices and condiments, it is a wide range to monitor. And setting benchmarks for food contaminants is only one part, albeit an important part of the authority’s job. Keeping an eye on products in the marketplace, picking up samples and getting them tested repeatedly is another key responsibility. As in the case of the drug regulator, the food regulator too needs more labs, more inspectors, more training and more technology in order to keep pace with the dynamic industry. Between government-owned labs and the accredited ones it works with, there are reportedly over 140 labs in the country. That is way too small a number in comparison to either the country’s population or industry size. It is time food safety got the policy bandwidth it deserves.

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