The Role of Food Safety Officers in FSSAI Surveillance
Gathering, analysing, and summarising pertinent scientific and technical data about food consumption and the exposure of specific contaminants in food intake is the main goal of surveillance. It also focuses on incidences and prevalences of biological risk in the food industry. Searching, compiling, gathering, analysing, and summarising pertinent scientific and technological data about food consumption and the exposure of individual elements to food intake reduces a number of factors in the analysis of pollutants and food.
It also focuses on incidences and prevalences of biological risk in the food industry, the analysis of contaminants in food, the reduction of various contaminants, and the identification of emerging risks. Its objectives include promoting, coordinating, and issuing guidelines for the development of risk assessment methodologies, governing and conducting them, and creating awareness about food safety among state governments and commissioners.
It is also essential in offering scientific and technical counsel and support to the central and state governments in the execution of risk management protocols. In accordance with Section 37 of the FSS Act of 2006, Food Safety Officers are appointed by the Commissioner of Food Safety through notification. FSOs must complete the training requirements set forth by the Food Authority in accredited institutions, according to Rule 2.1.3 of the FSS Rules, 2011.
To effectively execute their duties, FSOs require comprehensive knowledge of regulatory provisions, including inspection procedures, sampling, licensing and registration, packaging, labelling, and standards. Training for FSOs is structured in three categories: Induction Training, Refresher Training, and special/need-based training, designed to cover essential concepts of food safety, updates in regulations, standards, and practical field experience.