The Vertex Food regulating authority, FSSAI has put forth new framework of national Food Safety Emergency Response (FSER)- that underscores the boundaries and connections between different sectors, their roles and management responsibilities during a food safety emergency situation in nation.
According to an official with FSSAI, Under FSS Act, authority has mandate to gather information and test and do analysis of all the scientific and technical data ahead any kind of Food emergency situation.
FSER system and its framework will enable the institution to precendently learn about the food emergency and work to combat at its earliest.
According to the FSSAI, the Food Safety Emergency Response (FSER) Plans are a framework developed that aims at managing a potential or confirmed risk to public health arising from food through a timely and coordinated response so as to minimize any adverse impact on health and disruption to trade.
Such planning also enables food safety authorities to focus on prevention and preparedness, rather than only on reaction to individual events, and therefore has greater long-term sustainability.
“This plan addresses policies and procedures that will minimise the impact of a food safety emergency situation related to the state’s food supply. In addition, the plan addresses recovery following an incident. The plan stresses local, state and central interagency cooperation, as well as cooperation with industry. This cooperation will be essential when responding and recovering rapidly to any attack or threat to the state’s food supply,” said an official with the FSSAI.
Under the framework FSSAI has coalesced the planning and constructed three national level competent authorities for proper functioning as a single unit in the food borne emergent conditions. Namely, National Emergency Contact Point (NECP), FSSAI itself will functions as this for utmost coordination, National Focal Points (NFPs) composed of other stakeholders in managing the situation and Food Safety Risk Assessment Committee (FSRAC) constituted by the stakeholders who are responsible to mediate all scientific and technical data and suggest ways to get rid of the counter-normal situations.
Besides these, FSSAI Under FSER has new committe named as Food Safety Coordination Committee, working to manage the discrepancies in earlier plight.
The FSCC will have 16 members including CEO- FSSAI as chairperson, FSSAI’s ED –Compliance Strategy/Training, Advisor (Scientific and Standards), Joint Secretaries of Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Commerce (agri division), Cattle Dairy Development (ministry of Animal Husbandry), Consumer Affairs, Fisheries, Nutrition (Ministry of Women and Child Development), livestock health (Ministry of Animal Husbandry), Directors of –Export Inspection Council of India, and National Centre for Disease Control, Representative of ICMR, Director Imports FSSAI, and Head Food Safety Emergency Cell.