TN MRB Food Safety Officer

EXAM STUDY MATERIAL 2022

Syllabus Covered:

Chapter I : Indian and International Food Laws (An Overview)

Chapter II : FSSAI - Role, Functions, Initiatives (A General Understanding)

Chapter III : Food Safety Eco System in India

Chapter IV : Principles and Basics of Food Chemistry and their role in Human
Nutrition
Chapter V : Food Microbiology & General principles of Food Hygiene
Chapter VI : Food Science and Nutrition
Chapter VII : Food Quality
Chapter VIII : General concepts of Food Analysis and Testing
Chapter IX : Food Processing and Preservation
Chapter X : Principles of Food Preservation, Processing and Packaging

FSM EDUCATION

www.foodsafetyofficerexam.com
SYLLABUS COVERED:

Chapter I: Indian and International Food Laws (An Overview)

Unit 1: Food Safety and Standards Act of India, 2006: Provision, definitions
And different sections of the Act and Implementation.
Unit 2: FSS Rules and Regulations
Unit 3: Overview of other relevant national bodies (e.g. APEDA, BIS EIC,
MPEDA, Spice Board etc.)
Unit 4: International Food Control Systems/Laws, Regulations and
Standards/Guidelines with regard to Food Safety – (i) Overview of
CODEX Alimentarius Commission (History, Members, Standard
setting and Advisory mechanisms: JECFA, JEMRA JMPR): WTO
agreements (SPS/TBT):
Unit 5: Important national and international accreditation bodies

Chapter II: FSSAI - Role, Functions, Initiatives ( A General

Understanding)
Unit1: Genesis and Evolution of FSSAI
Unit2: Structure and Functions of Food Authority
Unit3: Overview of systems and processes in Standards, Enforcement,
Laboratory ecosystem, Imports,Third Party Audit etc.
Unit4: Promoting safe and wholesome Food (Eat Right India, Food
Fortification, snf, Clean Street Food Hub, RUCO and various other
social and behavioural change initiatives)
Unit5: Training and capacity building
Unit6: Role of State Food Authorities
Chapter III: Food Safety Eco System in India
Unit1: Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and its Background
Unit2: The Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR) 2011: Licensing
and Registration
Unit3: Schedule 4 requirements
Unit4: Recent advances in Packaging and Labelling Requirements
Unit5: Regulations related to Nutraceuticals and Foods for Special Dietary
Uses
Unit6: Provisions on Organic Food and Non-Specified Food/Food
Ingredients
Unit7: Central Advisory committee and scientific Committee/ panels
Unit8: Food Import Clearance system
Unit9: Notified labs and Adjudications

Chapter IV: Principles and Basics of Food Chemistry and their role in
Human Nutrition

Unit 1: Structure and functions of macro-and micro nutrients

Unit2: Role of macro and micronutrients in human nutrition
Unit3: Overview of food additives with respect to their technological
functions
Unit4: Overview of anti-nutritional factors and their removal from foods
Unit5: Overview of enzymes as food processing aids
Unit6: Overview of nutraceuticals and functions foods
Unit7: Overview of food contaminants and adulterants and their effects on
human health
Unit8: Food allergens and allergenicity
Unit9: Importance of diet in alleviating health risks, especially non-
communicable diseases
Chapter V: Food Microbiology & General principles of Food Hygiene

Unit1: General principles of food microbiology and overview of food borne

pathogens
Unit2: Overview of sources of microorganisms in food chain (raw materials,
water, air, equipment etc.) and microbiological quality of foods
Unit3: Microbial food spoilage and Food borne diseases
Unit4: General principles and techniques in microbiological examination of
foods
Unit5: Overview of beneficial microorganisms and their role in food
processing and human nutrition
Unit6: General principles of food safety management systems including
traceability and recall – sanitation, HACCP, Good production and
processing practices (GMP, GAP, GHP, GLP, BAP, etc)

Chapter VI: Food Science and Nutrition

Unit1: Understanding food hazard
Unit2: Food borne illnesses
Unit3: water and sanitation
Unit4: GHP, GAP, HACCP
Unit5: Food Allergies
Unit6: Food Adulteration
Unit7: Food Nutrition and Food Consciousness
Unit8: Supplementation, Fortification, Bio-fortification
Unit9: Poor Diet and consequences: Stunting, wasting & anaemia
Unit 10: Life style diseases
Unit11: Food testing and rapid detection methods

Chapter VII: Food Quality

Unit1: GMP Auditing and inspections

Unit2: Food Surveillance
Unit3: Food Recall
Unit4: Quality control of food at all stages processing
Unit5: Safety issues in food packaging materials
Unit6: Sampling from a lot or process line
Unit7: Non-destructive food quality evaluation methods

Chapter VIII: General concepts of Food Analysis and Testing

Unit1: Fundamentals of field level and laboratory sampling with reference

to importance of statistical tools.
Unit2: Overview of basic/classical methods of food analysis
Unit3: Overview of modern analytical techniques including mass
spectrometry and molecular techniques.
Unit4: Principles of Quality assurance and Quality control with reference to
food analysis and testing.

Chapter IX: Food Processing and Preservation

Unit1: Basic principles and methods of Food Preservation: Heat processing,

pasteurization, canning
Unit2: Dehydration
Unit3: Freezing, freeze drying
Unit4: Fermentation
Unit5: Microwave
Unit6: Iirradiation
Unit7: Chemical additives
Unit8: Refrigerated and modified atmosphere storage
Unit9: Aseptic preservation
Unit10: Hurdle technology
Unit11: Alternate Thermal technologies and non thermal processing
Unit12: New/Novel food additives and preservatives
Unit13: Safety issues of processed foods available in market

Chapter X: Principles of Food Preservation, Processing and Packaging

Unit1: Food Processing Operations, Principles, Good Manufacturing

Practices
Unit2: Overview of food preservation methods and their underlying
principles including novel and emerging methods/principles
Unit3: Overview of food packaging methods and principles including novel
packaging materials/techniques
Unit 1: Food Safety and Standards Act of India, 2006: Provision, definitions and
different sections of the Act and Implementation.

FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS ACT, 2006

No. 34 OF 2006 [23rd August, 2006]

An Act to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their
manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome
food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as

follows:-
CHAPTER I

PRELIMINARY

1. Short title, extent and commencement

(1) This Act may be called the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act
and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a
reference to the coming into force of that provision.

2. Declaration as to expediency of control by the Union.

It is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public interest that the Union should take under its
control the food industry.

3. Definitions.

(a) “adulterant” means any material which is or could be employed for making the food
unsafe or sub-standard or mis-branded or containing extraneous matter;

(b) “advertisement” means any audio or visual publicity, representation or pronouncement

made by means of any light, sound, smoke, gas, print, electronic media, internet or website
and includes through any notice, circular, label, wrapper, invoice or other documents;

(c) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Food Authority;

(d) “claim” means any representation which states, suggests, or implies that a food has
particular qualities relating to its origin, nutritional properties, nature, processing,
composition or otherwise;

(e) “Commissioner of Food Safety” means the Commissioner of Food Safety appointed
under section 30;

(f) “consumer” means persons and families purchasing and receiving food in order to meet
their personal needs;

(g) “contaminant” means any substance, whether or not added to food, but which is present
in such food as a result of the production (including operations carried out in crop husbandry,
animal husbandry or veterinary medicine), manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment,
packing, packaging, transport or holding of such food or as a result of environmental
contamination and does not include insect fragments, rodent hairs and other extraneous
matter;

(h) “Designated Officer” means the officer appointed under section 36;

(i) “extraneous matter” means any matter contained in an article of food which may be
carried from the raw materials, packaging materials or process systems used for its
manufacture or which is added to it, but such matter does not render such article of food
unsafe;

(j) “Food” means any substance, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed,
which is intended for human consumption and includes primary food to the extent defined in
clause (zk), genetically modified or engineered food or food containing such ingredients,
infant food, packaged drinking water, alcoholic drink, chewing gum, and any substance,
including water used into the food during its manufacture, preparation or treatment but does
not include any animal feed, live animals unless they are prepared or processed for placing
on the market for human consumption, plants, prior to harvesting, drugs and medicinal
products, cosmetics, narcotic or psychotropic substances :

Provided that the Central Government may declare, by notification in the Official
Gazette, any other article as food for the purposes of this Act having regards to its use,
nature, substance or quality;

(k) “food additive” means any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself or used
as a typical ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritive value, the intentional
addition of which to food for a technological (including organoleptic) purpose in the
manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing, packaging, transport or holding of
such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result (directly or indirectly), in it or its
by-products becoming a component of or otherwise affecting the characteristics of such food
but does not include “contaminants” or substances added to food for maintaining or
improving nutritional qualities;

(l) “Food Analyst” means an analyst appointed under section45;

(m) “Food Authority” means the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India established
under section 4;

(n) “Food business” means any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or
private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing,
packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, import and includes food services,
catering services, sale of food or food ingredients;

(o) “food business operator” in relation to food business means a person by whom the business
is carried on or owned and is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules and
regulations made thereunder;

(p) “food laboratory” means any food laboratory or institute established by the Central or a State
Government or any other agency and accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing
and Calibration Laboratories or an equivalent accreditation agency and recognised by the
Food Authority under section 43;

(q) “food safety” means assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according
to its intended use;

(r) “food safety audit” means a systematic and functionally independent examination of food
safety measures adopted by manufacturing units to determine whether such measures and
related results meet with objectives of food safety and the claims made in that behalf;

(s) “Food Safety Management System” means the adoption Good Manufacturing Practices,
Good Hygienic Practices, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point and such other
practices as may be specified by regulation, for the food business;
 (t) “Food Safety Officer” means an officer appointed under section 37;

(u) “hazard” means a biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the
potential to cause an adverse health effect;
(v) “import” means bringing into India any article of food by land, sea or air;

THE SECOND SCHEDULE

[See Section 97]

1. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (37 of 1954).

2. The Fruit Products Order, 1955.
3. The Meat Food Products Order, 1973.
4. The Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947.
5. The Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998.
6. The Solvent Extracted Oil, De oiled Meal, and Edible Flour (Control)
Order, 1967.
7. The Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992.
8. Any other order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955
(10 of 1955) relating to food.
Unit 2: FSS Rules and Regulations

Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011

CHAPTER 1
GENERAL
1.1: Title and commencement
1.1.1: These rules may be called the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.
1.1.2: They shall come into force after three months from the date of their publication in the official
Gazette.
1.2: Definitions
1.2.1: In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,
1. “Act” means the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Act 34 of 2006) ;
2. “Adjudicating Officer” means the Adjudicating Officer appointed under sub-section (1) of section 68 of
the
Act.
3. “Advocate” means a person who is entitled to practice the profession of law under the Advocates Act,
1961
(25 of 1961)
4. “Appellate Tribunal” means the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal constituted under section 70 of the Act.
5. “Authorised Officer” means an officer authorized by the Food Authority referred in the sub-section (5)
of
section 47 of the Act.
6. “Inquiry” means the inquiry referred to in section 68.
7. “Licensing Authority” means the Designated Officer appointed under section 36 of the Act for the local
area
and includes any other officer so appointed for the purpose of granting license by the Commissioner of
Food Safety.
8. “Notified laboratory” means any of the laboratories notified by the Food Authority under sub-sections
(1)
and (2) of section 43 of the Act.
9. “Presiding Officer” means a person appointed as Presiding Officer of the Appellate Tribunal under
section
70 of the Act.
10. “Referral laboratory” means any of the laboratories established and/or recognized by the Food
Authority
by notification under sub section (2) of section 43 of the Act.

11. “Registrar” means the Registrar of the Appellate Tribunal and includes an officer of such Appellate
Tribunal who is authorized by the Presiding Officer to function as Registrar
12. “Registry” means the registry of the Appellate Tribunal
13. “Rules” means the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.
 CHAPTER 2
ENFORCEMENT STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURES

2.1 - Qualification and duties

2.1.1: Commissioner of Food Safety:
1. Qualification: No person below the rank of “Commissioner and Secretary” to State Government shall
be
eligible to be appointed as the Commissioner of Food Safety.
2. Powers and Duties: Powers and duties of the Commissioner of Food Safety shall be as provided in the
section 30 (2) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

2.1.3: Food Safety Officer

1. Qualification: Food Safety Officer shall be a whole time officer and shall, on the date on which he is so
appointed possesses the following:
(i) a degree in Food Technology or Dairy Technology or Biotechnology or Oil Technology or Agricultural
Science or Veterinary Sciences or Bio-Chemistry or Microbiology or Masters Degree in Chemistry or
degree in medicine from a recognized University, or
(ii) any other equivalent/recognized qualification notified by the Central Government, and
(iii) has successfully completed training as specified by the Food Authority in a recognized institute or
Institution approved for the purpose.
Provided that no person who has any financial interest in the manufacture, import or sale of any article of
food shall be appointed to be a Food Safety Officer under this rule

2. On the date of commencement of these Rules, a person who has already been appointed as a Food
Inspector under the provisions of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, may perform the duties of the
Food
Safety Officer if notified by the state/Central government if the officer fulfils such other conditions as may
be prescribed for the post of Food Safety Officer by the State Government.

3. State Government may, in cases where a Medical Officer of health administration of local area has been
performing the function of food Inspector under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, assign the
powers and duties of Food Safety Officer to such Medical Officer in charge of health administration of that
area.

Provided further that the persons appointed under clauses 2 and 3 above, shall undergo a specialized
training laid down by the Food Authority within a period of two years from the commencement of these
rules.
Unit 3: Overview of other relevant national bodies (e.g. APEDA, BIS EIC, MPEDA,
Spice Board etc.)

APEDA:

Introduction:

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established
by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985. The Authority, with its headquarters at New
Delhi, is headed by a Chairperson. APEDA has been serving the agri-export community for 27 years. In
order to reach out to the exporters in different parts of the Country, APEDA has set up 5 Regional offices
at Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata & Guwhati and 13 Virtual Offices at Thiruvananthapuram
(Kerala), Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), Srinagar (J&K), Chandigarh, Imphal (Manipur), Agartala (Tripura),
Kohima (Nagaland), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Raipur (Chattisgarh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Bhopal
(Madhya Pradesh), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and Panaji (Goa). APEDA has been entrusted with the
responsibility of export promotion and development of 14 agricultural and processed food product groups
listed in the Schedule to the APEDA Act. In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the
responsibility to monitor the import of sugar as well.

FUNCTIONS

 In accordance with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
Act, 1985, (2 of 1986) the following functions have been assigned to the Authority.
 Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export by way of providing
financial assistance or otherwise for undertaking surveys and feasibility studies, participation in
enquiry capital through joint ventures and other reliefs and subsidy schemes;

APEDA'S PRESENCE

APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India and has been providing services
to agri-export community through its head office, 12 Regional offices.

HEAD OFFICE

New delhi
 BIS:

Introduction :

BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious
development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters
connected therewith or incidental thereto.BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the
national economy in a number of ways – providing safe reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards
to consumers; promoting exports and imports substitute; control over proliferation of varieties etc. through
standardization, certification and testing.

BIS is involved in various activities as given below:

 Standards Formulation
 Product Certification Scheme

Food Products with mandatory BIS Certification as per Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and
Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 are as under :

 Infant formula (IS 14433)

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)

The Marine Products Export Development Authority(MPEDA) was set up under Section (4) of MPEDA
Act, 1972 and became functional from 20th April, 1972. It is a statutory body functioning under the
Department of Commerce. The MPEDA, a statutory body, is responsible for development of the marine
products industry with special reference to exports. It is headed by a Chairman. It has its headquarters at
Kochi and has a number of Regional and Sub- Regional Offices.

Unit 4: International Food Control Systems/Laws, Regulations and

Standards/Guidelines with regard to Food Safety – (i) Overview of CODEX
Alimentarius Commission (History, Members, Standard setting and Advisory
mechanisms: JECFA, JEMRA JMPR): WTO agreements (SPS/TBT):
CODEX Alimentarius Commission

CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations, established
jointly by FAO and WHO in 1963. The CODEX Alimentarius Commission functions with the help of a
Chairperson and 3 ViceChairpersons. The CODEX Secretariat is located in Rome. CODEX Alimentarius
Commission develops harmonised international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect
the health of the consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. These standards are based on science
and scientific opinion provided by the independent international risk assessment bodies of FAO and WHO.
These food standards and related texts aim at protecting consumers' health and ensuring fair
practices in the food trade.

The current list of active CODEX Committees/Task Force functioning under the CAC is:-

1. Executive Committee of the CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC)

2. General Subject Committees / Task Force

 CODEX Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF)

 CODEX Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)
 CODEX Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH)
 CODEX Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)
 CODEX Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL)
 CODEX Committee on General Principles (CCGP)
 CODEX Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS)
 CODEX Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)
 CODEX Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR)
 CODEX Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF)

3. Commodity Committees

 CODEX Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes(CCCPL)

 CODEX Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV)
 CODEX Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO)
 CODEX Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV)
 CODEX Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH)
SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR CODEX WORK

Since CODEX standards are science based, the CODEX committees apply Risk Analysis principles in the
process of development of standards and accordingly rely, where required, on the independent scientific
advice provided by expert bodies organized by FAO/WHO. Risk Analysis is fundamental to the scientific
basis of CODEX Standards. These bodies also give direct scientific advice to Member Governments. There
are four FAO/WHO Expert Committees, serving as independent scientific bodies which performs risk
assessments and provide advice to FAO, WHO and the member countries of both organizations on the
subject areas viz. food additives, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs residues, contaminants, hygiene and
nutrition to the respective committees. Namely, these are:

1. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) which provides scientific
support to CCFA, CCCF and CCRVDF;
2. Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) which provides scientific support to
CCPR;
3. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) which
provides scientific support to CCFH;
4. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Nutrition (JEMNU) providing scientific support to
CCNFSDU.

WTO agreements (SPS/TBT):

Under the WTO agreement, the SPS agreement has two-fold mandate, namely,
 Countries have a right to protect the life and health of its plants, animals and human beings; and
 While doing so, member countries should ensure that they do not create unnecessary barriers to
trade.

Chapter II: FSSAI - Role, Functions, Initiatives ( A General Understanding)

Unit1: Genesis and Evolution of FSSAI

GENESIS OF THE FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS ACT 2006

Prior to the enactment of Food Standards and Safety Act in 2006, there were a number of food related
legislation administered by different Ministries of Government of India. No less than eight legislation
prescribed the minimum regulatory standards for various type of food and food products prior to FSS Act.
Over a period of time, this led to a state of multiplicity of food standards (often overlapping and sometimes
contradictory to one another) and enforcement agencies. This created confusion among food businesses,
consumers, traders, manufacturers and investors and hampered the growth of a modern food processing
sector in the country as well as fixation of safety standards. Further the existing laws on food had failed to
match the rapid evolution of food related technologies and advancements in the production, distribution &
marketing of the food.

The Second Schedule of the Act contains all the earlier food related legislations which are as follows.

1. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 (Act No 37 of 1954)

2. Food Product's Order 1955
3. The Meat Food Product's Order 1973
4. The Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order 1947
5. The edible oil's packaging (Regulation) Order 1998
6. The Solvent Extracted Oil, de-oiled meal, & edible flour (Control) Order 1967
7. Milk & Milk Product's Order 1992
8. Any Other Order issued under the essential commodities Act 1955 (10 of 1955) relating to
food Under Section 99 of the Act, Milk & Milk Product's Order 1992 shall be deemed to be
Regulation issued by the Authority under this Act.

Unit2: Structure and Functions of Food Authority

Unit3: Overview of systems and processes in Standards, Enforcement,
Laboratory ecosystem, Imports, Third Party Audit etc.

STANDARDIZATION (VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL)

FSSAI notified standards are mandatory standards and compulsorily to be followed by the food businesses,
there are other organizations and agencies that frame food standards which are voluntary standards.
However, some of these are considered as a basic requirement for the FBO to obtain FSSAI licenses which
include the BIS certification for manufacturing of packaged drinking water and” AGMARK” label for sale
of some agricultural products.

Horizontal Standards cut across various food categories and primarily relate to food safety covering
limits for various contaminants (chemical and biological), toxins in food and also requirements for
packaging, labelling and claims. These are covered under FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues)
Regulations, 2011, under Appendix B of FSS (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations,
2011 and FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.

THIRD PARTY AUDIT

To strengthen the food safety surveillance system, FSSAI has envisaged audits of Food Business Operators
through Private Auditing Agencies. In order to cultivate and foster the growth of compliance culture,
FSSAI is enabling compliance through private recognized Auditing Agencies.

The Food Safety Audits reduce the regulatory Food Safety Inspections conducted by Central or State
Licensing Authorities. Satisfactory Audits will lead to less frequent regulatory inspections by Central or
State Licensing Authority except the regulatory sampling. This will strengthen food safety surveillance
system and encourage self-compliance while at the same time assuring safe food to the consumers.
Unit4: Promoting safe and wholesome Food (Eat Right India, Food Fortification,
snf, Clean Street Food Hub, RUCO and various other social and behavioural
change initiatives)

EAT RIGHT INDIA MOVEMENT

In the preamble to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI is expected to ensure availability of
safe and wholesome food for the people in India. Inspired by the focus on preventive and promotive
healthcare in the National Health Policy 2017 and flagship programmes like Ayushman Bharat, POSHAN
Abhiyaan and Swacch Bharat Mission, FSSAI has embarked on a large-scale effort to transform the
country's food system in order to provide people safe, healthy and sustainable food through the “Eat Right
India” movement.

The Eat Right India Movement is based on three key themes/pillars - Eat Safe, Eat Healthy, and Eat
Sustainably.

Eat Safe : Ensuring personal and surrounding hygiene, hygienic and sanitary practices through the food
supply chain, combating adulteration, reducing toxins and contaminants in food and controlling food
hazards in processing and manufacturing processes.

Eat Healthy : Promoting diet diversity and balanced diets, eliminating toxic industrial trans-fats from food,
reducing consumption of salt, sugar and saturated fats and promoting large-scale fortification of staples to
address micronutrient deficiencies.

Eat Sustainable : Promote local and seasonal foods, prevent food loss and food waste, conserve water in
food value chains, reduce use of chemicals in food production and presentation and use of safe and
sustainable packaging.

These key themes are operationalised through six strategic priorities viz.

1) Robust standards and codes of practices

2) Credible food testing and effective surveillance

3) Strengthened compliance, enforcement and emergency response

4) Strong culture of self-compliance

5) Promoting healthy diets and sustainability

6) Empowered consumers

BUILDING CONSUMER AWARENESS

Nudging consumers to eat right calls for a slew of measures that not only create awareness, but constantly
reiterate the importance of 'mindful' eating to ensure a sustainable change in habits. Since food is consumed
not only at home, but also at the workplace, in schools/colleges etc, there are opportunities in every space
to promote safe and wholesome food habits. Home food choices can be influenced by targeting consumers
directly through various IEC and awareness campaigns. Food choices in schools, workplaces or other
campuses can be influenced by creating visible symbols/logos/ratings for a campus, based on compliance
to a set of well-defined benchmarks that go beyond mere safety and hygiene, to include aspects of healthy
and responsible food consumption.

Unit5: Training and capacity building

FOOD SAFETY TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME OR 'FOSTAC’

Safety can be endangered at any point in the food value chain, from manufacture to storage to transport.
FSSAI has specified procedures and practices to be followed by food businesses for actively controlling
hazards throughout the food value chain. Every food business operator is required to have a documented
FSMS plan and comply with good hygiene and manufacturing practices as laid down under Schedule 4 of
FSS Regulation 2011.
Objective : To help FBOs understand and comply with Schedule 4 requirements, a “Food Safety Training
and Certification” programme or 'FoSTaC' has been put in place, whereby Schedule 4 requirements have
been simplified to deliver training.

While FoSTaC training is voluntary at present, the Food Authority has approved in-principle a decision to
make the training mandatory. So every food business establishment will soon be required to have at least
one trained & certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) through FoSTAC for every 25 food-handlers in
their premises.

Unit6: Role of State Food Authorities

STATE FOOD AUTHORITY STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

The enforcement of the Act in states is carried out through the State/UT Commissioner of Food Safety
(CFS) and Designated Officer, Food Safety Officer, Food Analyst and Panchayat Raj/Municipal bodies.
Unit8- Food Import Clearance system

FOOD IMPORTS SYSTEM

FSSAI has the mandate to regulate import of foods into the country and ensure that it is safe and
wholesome for human consumption. As per Section 25 of the Food Safety & Standard Act, 2006, all
imports of articles of food are subject to the provisions of the Act. It stipulates that no person shall import
into India any article of food in contravention of the Act or any rules and regulations made thereunder.
Exercising the power of the Act, the Central Government on the recommendation of the Food Authority
has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulation, 2017.

FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS (IMPORT) REGULATIONS, 2017

Key Highlights

a) No imports of food article are permitted in India without a valid import license from the Central
Licensing Authority of FSSAI.

b) The consignments of food articles are referred to FSSAI for clearance by the Customs Authorities
through Food Import Clearance System.

c) The food consignments are subject to scrutiny of documents, visual inspection, sampling and testing in
order to determine whether or not they conform to the safety and quality standards laid down under various
Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.

OVERVIEW OF FOOD IMPORT CLEARANCE SYSTEM IN INDIA

FSSAI has its presence at six locations through its own Authorised Officers at Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai,
Delhi, Cochin and Tuticorin covering 22 points of entries. Further, at other Point of Entries throughout the
country FSSAI has notified Customs officials as Authorised Officers for the purpose of regulating food
imports. FSSAI has in place its own Food Import Clearance System (FICS) which is an online system,
integrated with the customs ICE-GATE (Indian Customs Electronic Commerce / Electronic Data
interchange Gateway) under SWIFT (Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade).
Unit9- Notified labs
LABORATORY ECOSYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

Food Analysis is at the heart of safety and quality monitoring. Sampling and analysis of food may be
conducted for various purposes, such as surveillance, data collection, monitoring for enforcement, quality
control/process monitoring, research, public information / survey.

Different types of samples are collected and submitted to the laboratory for analysis. Some are sample units
from lots or consignments of foods or ingredients. This chapter briefly describes some of the major factors
that should be considered when collecting sample units, shipping them to a laboratory, preparing them for
analysis, and analysing them. The broad objectives of testing articles of food / ingredients are:

a) Protecting Public Health - The most important objective of food testing is to protect public health.
Detection of naturally occurring toxins, contaminants, use of unsuitable ingredients, addition of food-
additives more than permitted level and failure of declaration of allergic ingredients will all contribute to
this objective.

b) Detecting fraudulent activities - This is particularly true for imported food where inspection of the
manufacturing process establishment is not an option.

FSSAI recognizes and notifies NABL (ISO 17025:2017) accredited food testing laboratories in the
following categories:

1. Primary food testing laboratories

2. Referral food laboratories
3. Reference food laboratories
Chapter III: Food Science and Nutrition
Unit1- Understanding food hazard
Hazards associated with food

Biological Chemical Physical

Macro biological Veterinary residues, antibiotics Glass , Hair
Microbiological Growth stimulants Metal
Pathogenic Bacteria Plasticisers and packaging migration Stones
 Sporeforming Chemical residues, Wood
 Non sporeforming pesticides Plastics
Cleaning fluids Parts of pests

Parasites and protozoa Allergens Insulation material

Mycotoxins Food chemicals; preservatives, processing Fruit pits

aids, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
printing inks, Prohibited substances

Viruses Toxic metals; Lead and cadmium Bone

Unit3- water and sanitation

Water-Borne Diseases and their Impact

The pathogenic microorganisms, their toxic exudates, and other contaminants together, cause serious
conditions such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, amebiasis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, giardiasis,
campylobacteriosis, scabies, and worm infections, to name a few.

Diarrhea

The most common of all water-borne diseases, diarrhea, mainly affects children below five years of age.
The symptoms include dizziness, dehydration, pale skin, and loss of consciousness in severe cases. It
usually lasts for a couple of weeks and can turn out to be fatal if it goes untreated.
The following are benefits of sanitation

1. Inspection is becoming more stringent because inspectors are using the Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Point (HACCP) concept to establish compliance. HACCP-based inspections focus on the items critical to
the safety of foods. Thus, an effective sanitation program is essential.

2. Foodborne illness can be controlled when sanitation is properly implemented in all food operations.
Common problems caused by poor sanitation are food spoilage through off-odor and flavor. Spoiled foods
are objectionable to consumers and cause reduced sales, increased consumer complaints, and increased
claims. Off-condition products convey the lack of an effective sanitation program. When consumers think
that they have become ill from food, they notify regulatory authorities and often seek compensation for
their illness and inconvenience.

Food Consciousness
Food consumption is always a choice-constrained condition. People generally make unconscious
decisions due to their uncontrolled desires. Consciousness is the light of awareness of an inner
psychological or spiritual fact. It is an intuitively perceived knowledge. In the midst of too many (often
conflicting) choices; the voice of our intuitive selves, the part of us that is innately connected to our deepest
truth and always attuned to what we need in body, mind, and soul, helps to differentiate
between our needs and desires.

Biofortification, the process of breeding nutrients into food crops, provides a comparatively costeffective,
sustainable, and long-term means of delivering more micronutrients. This approach not only will lower the
number of severely malnourished people who require treatment by complementary interventions but also
will help them maintain improved nutritional status. Moreover, biofortification provides a feasible means
of reaching malnourished rural populations who may have limited access to commercially marketed
fortified foods and supplements.

Unit 10- Life style diseases

Lifestyle diseases are ailments that are primarily based on the day to day habits of people. Habits that
detract people from activity and push them towards a sedentary routine can cause a number of health issues
that can lead to chronic non-communicable diseases that can have near life-threatening consequences.
Characteristics of NCDs

Complex etiology (causes): Non communicable diseases are driven by seemingly unrelated causes such as
rapid unplanned urbanization, globalization of unhealthy lifestyles and population ageing. Apparent causes
such as raised blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids and obesity may be
representations of deep lying lifestyle habits.

Rapid detection method

In general, any method that detects a food-borne pathogen in a shorter period of time, as compared with
conventional methods is considered as a rapid method.

Need for rapid analysis

 To prevent outbreaks of food borne diseases.

 To provide immediate information on the possible presence of pathogen in raw material and
finished products.

 To reduce human errors and to save time and labor cost.

 Presence of even a single pathogenic organism in the food may be a infectious dose.

Chapter IV: Food Quality

Unit1-GMP Auditing and inspections

The inspection and audits are the main activities for enforcing the Food Safety Act Rules and regulations,
to ensure the food safety compliance. In the times of PFA Act 1954, the inspection activities were focused
on sampling and testing of end products to determine their compliance with standards and regulations.
Under the FSS ACT 2006, it is considered more efficient to focus inspection activities on ensuring
compliance of systems for food safety management (FSMS) that can minimise the occurrence of food
safety problems. This shift from a “reactive” towards a “preventive” approach to food safety risks is
subject to a general international consensus.
Unit2- Food Surveillance

Surveillance is a system that collects the data regarding all types of contaminants in foods . It has to be
conducted in a structured and planned manner with the purpose to understand the spectrum of food safety ,
timely identification of food safety hazards and then provide relevant data for food safety monitoring , risk
assessment and standards setting .

Types of Surveillance:

1. Active Surveillance
2. Passive Surveillance

Unit5- Safety issues in food packaging materials

Packaging is beneficial. It protects the packaged foodstuff from spoilage by external agents such as pests,
odours, micro-organisms, light and oxygen. However, the transfer of chemicals from packaging to food
may have a negative impact on the quality and safety of food.

Chemical migration and the main factors that control it

1.The mechanistic basis of migration
2.Composition of the packaging material
3.The nature and extent of contact
4.The nature of the food
5.The temperature of contact
6.The duration of contact
7.Mobility of the chemicals in the packaging

Unit7- Non-destructive food quality evaluation methods

Nondestructive testing equipment can be widely used throughout the food industry. The following areas are
the most relevant:
1. Raw material control in the field or at the factory reception
2. Process control either online or off-line after sampling
3. Rapid analysis of intermediate or final products in the laboratory
4. Product development and storage testing
5. Research
Unit5- Microwave

Introduction

Microwaves are part of electromagnetic spectrum in the frequency range falling between radio and infrared
region. Two frequencies have been set aside for exclusive use of microwave heating application namely
915 MHz and 2450 MHz.

Microwave heating is a method that offers technique of heating requiring neither conduction nor
convection. Microwave generates heat within the food rapidly raising the temperature to the desired extent.
Special oscillator tubes called magnetrons and keltron, which generate the microwaves are used. These
devices convert low frequency electrical energy into hundreds and thousands of megacycles.

Microwave Generation

The microwaves are generated by special oscillator tubes called "Magnetrons and Kystron”. These are
devices that convert low frequency electrical energy into hundreds and thousands of megacycles. The
electromagnetic energy, at microwave frequency is conducted through a coaxial tube or wave guide at a
point of usage. Both Magnetron and Kystron are electron tubes which generate microwaves.

Unit10- Hurdle technology

Hurdle technology as an intelligent combination of hurdles which secures the microbial safety and stability
as well as retains the organoleptic, nutritional quality and economic viability of food products. Hurdle
technology is a concept that was developed to address the consumer demand for more natural and fresh
foods.

Hurdle technology has been developed to reduce the usage of preservatives in foods, and consists of the
combined effect of hurdles to establish an additional antimicrobial effect, thus improving the quality of the
food.

Unit11- Alternate Thermal technologies and non thermal processing

Objectives of Non thermal food processing are:

• Render foods free of pathogenic & spoilage organisms

• Retain color, flavor
• Improve shelf life
• Improve texture

Non thermal food processing techniques are more suitable for liquid foods than solid and semi-solid and
also for processing of ready-to-cook packed foods. It is also reviewed that uniform distribution of heat is
not achieved in processing of solid foods using new trends in food processing. Investment cost of new
methods of food processing is quite high and it can be applied to large scale industries when compared to
small scale industries. The better quality is achieved in non thermal processing and its shelf life is also
increased by this method.

Light pulses

Pulsed light is a method of food preservation that involves the use of intense and short-duration pulses of
broad spectrum ‘‘white light’’ (ultraviolet to the near infrared region). For most applications, a few flashes
applied in a fraction of a second provide a high level of microbial inactivation. This technology
inapplicable mainly in sterilizing or reducing the microbial population on packaging or food surfaces. It
could be shown that light-impulses are able to extend the durability of bread, cakes and pastries, sea food
or meat. As light pulses penetrate certain packaging materials, wrapped items also can be treated. Still
there is a need of independent research on the inactivation kinetics under a full spectrum of representative
variables of food systems and surfaces.
Unit13- Safety issues of processed foods available in market

Processed foods contain food particles at different forms added with different additives. Apart from the
effects of food items with high calories which may have very strong relation with obesity, diabetes, high
blood lipids, high blood pressure etc., processed foods may have many other effects. The present article
deals with the food additives of the processed foods.

Contact us to Buy Complete Study Materials

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.foodsafetyofficerexam.com & www.fsmconsulting.net