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FSSAI Food Testing
Get an insight into FSSAI food testing standards and laboratory services.
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Overview of FSSAI Food Testing
- In India, ensuring the safety and quality of food products is a paramount concern, heavily reliant on the rigorous standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Food businesses nationwide are mandated by regulations to adhere to these standards, necessitating regular testing of their products against the stringent criteria established by the FSSAI.
- FSSAI-accredited laboratories play a pivotal role in conducting thorough testing procedures to detect contaminants and potential hazards. The testing process typically encompasses sample collection, laboratory analysis, and the subsequent reporting of results, all aimed at guaranteeing that each product meets the required safety standards for consumption.
- This meticulous testing regime not only ensures food safety but also contributes to establishing a robust food safety management system. Incorporating risk assessments and preventive measures effectively safeguards public health, instilling confidence in consumers and fostering regulatory compliance within the food industry.
- Moreover, the cost of FSSAI testing can vary depending on factors such as the type of food test required and the complexity of the analysis involved. Accredited laboratories operate under stringent regulations, adhering to prescribed standards and methodologies to maintain consistent quality control and validation. This commitment to excellence is essential for upholding consumer trust and ensuring adherence to regulatory mandates across the diverse landscape of India's food industry.
FSSAI's Food Testing Infrastructure
- The FSSAI is involved in updating the testing procedures currently in use and developing new parameters for the analysis of different food items through its Scientific Panel on Methods of Sampling and Analysis. Thirteen new guides on food analysis techniques, such as those on milk and milk products, fats and oils, fruits, and vegetable products, have been finalised thus far. A techniques examine Group comprising specialists from scientific/research institutions, regulatory bodies, independent scientific experts (including those from instrumentation companies and commercial labs), etc., has been established to examine and update the techniques manual.
- The Cabinet approved the establishment and promotion of a national-level cooperative society for organic products under the Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002. This cooperative society will oversee various activities in the organic sector, ensuring the availability of certified and genuine organic products to meet demand both domestically and internationally.
- The cooperative society is tasked with managing the entire supply chain of organic products produced by cooperatives and related entities through member cooperatives. The Food Authority notifies food laboratories and research institutions accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) or any other recognised accreditation agency to conduct sample analysis.
Network of Food Testing Laboratories
Food testing and analysis play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of food for consumption within the food safety ecosystem. To this end, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) acknowledges and designates NABL accredited food laboratories under Section 43 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Additionally, FSSAI extends its recognition to foreign laboratories to expedite the clearance process of food consignments at ports.
In order to carry out its mandate on food testing and analysis, the FSSAI established a network of 232 laboratories, which is a crucial component of the food safety ecosystem. The network consists of 72 state food testing laboratories, 18 referral laboratories—two of which are directly under the direct supervision of FSSAI—142 accredited primary food testing laboratories from both the public and commercial sectors.
FSSAI Categorises Approved Laboratories Into Various Segments
- Primary Food Laboratories: These laboratories, including research institutions, are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories or other recognised accreditation agencies. They are authorised to conduct sample analysis as directed by Food Analysts.
- Referral Food Laboratories: FSSAI identifies referral food laboratories specifically for analysing appeal samples. Currently, there are 20 such laboratories listed.
- National Reference Laboratories (NRLs): FSSAI recognises NRLs to establish standardised procedures nationwide, validate testing methods, develop new techniques, and ensure proficiency across food laboratories, particularly concerning food risks or categories. Both primary and referral food laboratories may qualify for NRL designation.
These designated laboratories play a critical role in upholding food safety standards and fostering consumer trust in the quality of food products.
National Reference Laboratory and Central Scheme
The recognition of National Reference Laboratories will be contingent upon their proficiency in a given food product category list given below:
- Dairy Products and Analogues
- Fats, Oils, and Fat Emulsions
- Fruit and Vegetable Products
- Cereals and Cereal Products
- Meat and Meat Products
- Fish and Fish Products
- Sweets & Confectionery
- Sweetening Agents, Including Honey
- Salt, Spices, Condiments, and Related Products
- Beverages (Other than Dairy and Fruits & Vegetables based)
- Infant Nutrition Foods
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Health Supplements
- Nutraceuticals
- Food for Special Dietary Use
- Food for Special Medical Purpose
- Functional Food and Novel Food
- Organic food
- GM Foods
Furthermore, NRL can also be identified using the analyte basis (e.g., pesticide residue, mycotoxin, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, antibiotics, etc.). formed for this purpose by FSSAI. In accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Recognition and Notification of Laboratories) Regulations, 2018, a national reference laboratory is required to perform the following duties:
- A few of the responsibilities include serving as a resource centre for information on certified reference materials
- Developing standards for dependable testing methods and routine testing procedures
- Offering technical support in the area of expertise
- Evaluating the performance of other notified laboratories
- Coordinating information exchange among notified food laboratories
- Working together to generate data for the network of notified food laboratories
- Referral food laboratories and compiling data relevant to their particular domain,
- Performing any other duties as may occasionally be assigned by the Food Authority.
Food Testing Procedures and Surveillance Activities
Food testing and surveillance is intended to be a continuous process and is conducted on a regular basis by the FSSAI. The food products, which are commodities produced, manufactured, marketed, and imported in India, are sampled in order to analyse their safety parameters, quality, and labelling requirements. FSSAI conducts virtual training for state officials and samples from other agencies to initiate the surveillance. It will select the lab based on accreditation and scope to analyse the parameter. The consent from the selected labs in order to participate and analyse the surveillance samples is obtained by the FSSAI. The participating laboratory will have the testing integrity specified by the FSSAI and the accreditation body.
Standard Testing Procedures
The standard operating procedure is outlined by the FSSAI, starting from sampling until providing the results. As per the standard operating procedure, the food safety officer will oversee the sample packing, labelling, coding, and delivery to identified laboratories. Samples that are all to be delivered to the laboratories under normal storage in refrigerators will be decided as per the FSSR and Food safety testing procedures:
- Sample Pickup: Nationwide pickup within 4 days (Two weeks post-contract award)
- Delivery to Designated Laboratories: Maximum 4 days
- Sample Analysis: Typically 2 to 3 weeks (Extended to 3 weeks for microbiological testing)
- Sample Size: Varies based on commodity (Approximately 4000 per survey, subject to a possible 25% decrease. May increase by more than 25% depending on commodity type and surveillance activity)
- Draft Report Submission: Within 3 weeks post-completion of sample analysis, including statistically analysed data and relevant information
- Report Submission Requirements: The agency must upload the analysis report on InFolnet and submit traceable analytical data (e.g., sample receipt, preparation details, chromatogram, MS data) to the provided surveillance email by FSSAI. Payment release is contingent upon the draft report's adherence to FSSAI's format and standards.
City Allocation:
- Major Cities: 50
- Sector-Specific Districts: 20
- Remaining Districts/Tehsils: 180
City selection and allocation may vary based on product specifics and surveillance requirements. District numbers and sample collection quantities may also fluctuate based on commodity availability, district area, consumption patterns, and population demographics.
Key Surveillance Activities and Surveys
As mandated by Section 29(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Food Authority is responsible for maintaining a system of control and other activities that are appropriate for the given circumstances. These activities include public communication on food safety and risk, food safety surveillance, and other monitoring activities covering all stages of the food business. As a result, the FSSAI has surveyed milk packaging and is constantly checking milk quality nationwide.
The National Milk Quality Monitoring System
The FSSAI has set up a monitoring system to evaluate the quality of milk that people throughout the nation are consuming, with an emphasis on contaminated or dangerous milk.
Packaging Survey
In order to investigate the chemical pollutants in food resulting from packaging materials, the FSSAI has also commissioned an R&D survey project, which it has given to the National Test House (NTH).
Innovations in Food Testing: RAFT and Mobile Labs
Rapid Analytical Food Testing (RAFT)
FSSAI has framed the proper procedure for approving the Rapid Analytical Food Testing (RAFT) method for testing food articles. The overall guidelines mentioning the procedure for approval are set and placed by the FSSAI. The FSSAI has put up a committee for analysing rapid analytical Food testing, kits and equipment. One can produce the kit and equipment under the RAFT scheme. A scientific panel will scrutinise the recommendations of the RAFT committee on methods of sampling and analysis. It will be further approved by the competent authority before implementing it. If the recommended rapid kit or method meets the requirements of food safety and standard regulations, it is validated against international standards.
The main purpose of approval by FSSAI is to make sure that the spot field testing by the food safety officer or the mobile testing labs helps to improve speed and reduce the overall testing cost in food laboratories. The main goals of the rapid food testing kit equipment or method are to improve, speed up, and lower the cost of food testing. The rapid food testing technique is better in terms of size and is faster when compared to traditional methods. It is mostly employed for monitoring and filtering. You can apply on the official rapid analytical food testing website.
National Reference Laboratories (NRLs): FSSAI recognises NRLs to establish standardised procedures nationwide, validate testing methods, develop new techniques, and ensure proficiency across food laboratories, particularly concerning food risks or categories. Both primary and referral food laboratories may qualify for NRL designation.
These designated laboratories play a critical role in upholding food safety standards and fostering consumer trust in the quality of food products.
The FSSAI has launched the ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ scheme, aimed at deploying mobile units for food testing to engage with consumers through multiple touchpoints. Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) Program would be used to carry out the following tasks:
- Monitoring and raising awareness about food safety in the State's remote areas, big public gatherings, educational institutions, and consumer organisations
- Delivering samples selected from these remote areas to the closest food testing laboratory, serving as a cold chain logistics for regulatory/surveillance sample transportation
- Function as an off-site division of Labs
- Educating customers on a range of topics related to food safety regulations and standard hygiene procedures
- As a tool for conveying IEC contents in colloquial languages
- As a convenient training aid for street food vendors
- As a source of information and assistance with licensing and registration
- Programs for plantation workers to learn about food safety and/or receive training on the subject
- Prohibiting food colouring in a variety of foods, including cereals, pulses, namkeens, prepared foods
- On-site testing facilities for qualitative adulteration of common food items like ghee, milk, khoya, sweets, edible oil, spices, water, and other beverages.
About 80 parameters can be qualitatively tested across seven different food groups by each FSW. Furthermore, if the states so choose, each FSW includes a provision for conducting basic microbiological testing. The cost of an FSW is approximately ₹50 lakh, and this includes a recurrent grant for fuel, oil, lubricants, and consumables.
Enhancing Food Testing Capacity and Compliance
Food testing and analysis laboratories play a crucial role in supporting a responsible and responsive food regulatory system. Timely analysis of samples is essential for ensuring compliance with international and domestic standards. Here are few steps suggested by FSSAI to enhance food testing capacity and compliance:
- Laboratories should possess adequate infrastructure, facilities, equipment, and reference materials to function effectively
- Access to calibration and maintenance services is vital for maintaining the accuracy of analytical instruments
- A skilled team of food analysts, along with management and support staff, forms the backbone of a testing laboratory
- Formal accreditation and internal quality control procedures are necessary for ensuring the quality of results
- Participation in laboratory proficiency testing schemes further enhances the credibility of analytical laboratories
- Compliance with recognised best practices of analytical competency enables regulatory agencies like FSSAI to utilise laboratory data more efficiently for risk assessment and management
- While a variety of sophisticated analytical equipment and techniques are available, microbiological and chemical analysis are among the most common types
- New and upcoming food testing laboratories can perform certain types of analysis without the need for high-end equipment like LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, and ICP-MS
- Factors such as sample quantity, type of analysis, analysis speed, ease of use, and personnel competence influence the operation of new laboratories.
FAQs for FSSAI Food Testing
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How does FSSAI ensure the reliability of food testing?
What are the key steps involved in the FSSAI testing procedure?
How do RAFT kits contribute to food safety?
What advancements does the Modified Food Safety on Wheels program offer?
What types of surveillance activities does FSSAI undertake?
How does the Sample Management System improve food testing?
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