No ban on your favourite two minute noodles!

The Apex Court has ruled in the favour of Maggi lovers and various packaged food items. Maggi which is a staple diet of the youngsters was banned as it was declared unfit for consumption. But soon after the ban, the Supreme Court questioned the procedure followed by the Food Security & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding the product approval advisories issued by them. This ruling by the court could give Nestle the confidence to challenge FSSAI’s arbitrary process of product approval. Various packaged food companies and FSSAI have shared a very prickly relationship from a very long time. It pertains mainly to proprietary foods where a lot of product approvals are held up for a very long time by the FSSAI. A Mumbai-based company, Vital Neutraceuticals had approached the Bombay High Court challenging FSSAI’s powers to issue product- approval advisories. The advisories were not very clear and were issued on the basis of arbitrary guidelines. The friction between food companies and FSSAI has been growing and various companies have raised a demand for a proper regulatory framework. The product-approval advisories must be transparent and not take too long in approving a new product. “The whole process of product approvals was actually retrograde in nature and is not prevalent in any other country. Consumers were deprived of new and innovative products,” said Anil Dhanuka, president of the All India Food Processors’ Association. Though, product approvals have been scrapped but there has to be an alternative for the same to maintain food safety standards. Keeping in mind the rate of adulteration, we need a regulatory framework which can maintain global food safety standards. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been in limelight since the controversy concerning Maggi arose after the discovery of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) higher than the prescribed limit in the famous Two Minute noodles. Now companies can go ahead and launch products without waiting for an approval from FSSAI which is a relief to a lot of manufacturers of various products. It would make life easier of manufacturers to launch their products in the Indian markets. While the decision has been widely approved and appreciated, there is no clarity on how products will be approved that have already filed applications with FSSAI. We need a regulatory framework which keeps a check on various products coming in the market. If this framework or body finds a product harmful for consumption it must face heavy penalties. We have to comply with global food safety standards. There should be a provision for class action suits against the manufacturer. Thus, his license must be cancelled. It is also time for FSSAI to take a closer look at the facilities within its laboratories and raise them at par with global standards.