The Centre for Science and Environment has condemned the new development in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which has inducted as members in its top scientific panels representatives from the industry which it seeks to regulate. Set up under the Food Safety Act, 2006, the Authority will be the apex and one and only food regulatory body in the country. In a clear case of conflict of interest and industry lobbying, employees of many big food businesses have managed to sneak into the top scientific committees and panels of the authority. These include employees of Coca Cola India, PespiCo, Hindustan Unilever, Marico Limited, Britannia Industries, ITC limited, Nestle India, Hind Agro Industries Limited and GSK Consumer Healthcare Limited. Intrusion of industry into the top scientific food regulatory body will destroy its credibility.
In 2003 and 2006 CSE had released its findings on pesticide residues in bottled water and soft drinks. CSE had found that food safety in India was completely compromised and that regulations were non-existent or poor. In 2004 the Joint Parliamentary Committee had taken cognisance of CSE's findings on alarming food safety situation in the country and had asked for a complete revamp of regulations. It was after this that the Food Safety Act was passed and the authority set up under it. "But by including industry in its scientific panels the recently constituted Authority has lost all credibility and food safety will be further compromised," said Sunita Narain, director, CSE.
However VN Gaur, CEO, FSSAI, has explained that the inclusion of scientist is not based on his/her affiliation to any industry. He told F&B News that the names of scientists have not been excluded just because they are associated with any particular company and that the FSSAI has given weight to the scientific expertise which the members will be able to provide in this sector.
Second, the FSSAI has considered the experience level based on the scientists' previous achievements, work done, paper presented in the field that will help the Authority to take advantage of their individual expertise.
Also, the FSSAI believes that a mix of private and public companies will only help to balance out the working of the committee and help resolve any issue concerning the industry with more ease. If it so happens that a scientist has any particular interest in the issue involved under safety, FSSAI has made it clear that he would remain excluded from the same.
When CSE had released its findings of dangerous levels of pesticides in soft drinks sold in the market, intense debate had followed on the issues of food sampling, analysis and food additives and processing. What is shocking is that soft drink company representatives have been made members of scientific panels dealing with these very issues. A general manager of Coca Cola India is a member in the "Scientific panel for method of sampling and analysis."
Another general manager from Coca Cola and a vice-president of PepsiCo are members of "Scientific Panel for food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food." Representatives from Britannia and ITC limited are member of the "Scientific Panel for pesticides and antibiotic residues". Most of the representatives of the industry are managers or from managerial positions. It is shocking that managers and those on managerial positions have been inducted into these highly technical and scientific panels. "The Authority is completely compromised. It might as well be buried before it is born as it has hired out its swanky new offices to the industry," Narain said.
Source : fnbnews.com
|