Food regulator under CAG lens

In a first, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is doing a comprehensive performance audit of the country’s food regulator.

The audit of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) comes against the backdrop of the food regulator’s controversial decision to ban manufacturing and sales of Maggi instant noodles — a popular snack sold by Swiss company Nestle in India — in 2015 under the helm of former FSSAI chief executive Yudhvir Singh Malik.

CAG’s audit is looking at issues such as how FSSAI fixes standards, finalises rules, approves products, ensures compliance and conducts surveillance. “This is a fairly comprehensive audit and is being done for the first time since the regulator came into existence,” said a government official requesting anonymity.

FSSAI was set up in August 2011 under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. It has powers to lay down standards for food articles and to regulate their manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and import. Some of its activities include licencing and surveillance of food and beverages outlets, enforcement of safety regulations across registered food vendors and ensuring safety of imported food items, their standards and labelling.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI, confirmed the development.

“This started last year and the exit meeting is likely sometime next month. After that, CAG will submit its report to the Parliament. And it’ll be made available to public. Not just FSSAI, the audit includes the food safety offices of the states. This is not a matter of concern. What comes out of the report will help us in improving our work,” Agarwal said.

A CAG spokesperson said: “A performance audit of FSSAI is being done. No date has been yet decided for the exit meeting.” He declined to elaborate further.