**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1676, to be answered on December 10, 2025. It details the price monitoring of essential food commodities and the inspection/quality checks of fair-price shops, including compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations. It outlines regulations and actions to be taken to ensure food safety and standards.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Price Monitoring:**
* The Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the daily prices of 38 essential food commodities.
* Data is submitted by 575 price reporting centers nationwide.
* Daily prices are submitted through the Price Monitoring System (PMS) Mobile App.
* **Fair Price Shop Inspections and Quality Checks:**
* Food Business Operators (FBO) must obtain FSSAI licenses or registration as per their eligibility before commencing business, as per Section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
* Hygiene and sanitary practices are outlined in Part I and II of Schedule 4 of FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
* FBOs must adhere to these conditions; failure to do so results in enforcement action under the FSS Act, 2006.
* **FSSAI Surveillance and Enforcement:**
* FSSAI, through State/UTs and regional offices, conducts regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection, and random sampling of food products.
* These activities aim to ensure compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, its rules, and regulations.
* Penal action is initiated against Food Business Operators (FBO) found non-compliant.
**Impact Analysis**
**Fair Price Shops / Food Business Operators (FBOs)**
* **Impact:** Required to obtain FSSAI licenses/registration and adhere to hygiene and sanitary practices as per FSS Regulations, and are liable for enforcement actions if non-compliant.
* **Action Required:** Ensure FSSAI licenses/registrations are up to date and comply with hygiene and sanitary requirements.
**Consumers**
* **Impact:** Benefits from price monitoring of essential commodities and assurance of food quality and safety at fair price shops.
* **Action Required:** None.
**FSSAI / State/UTs and Regional Offices**
* **Impact:** Responsible for conducting regular surveillance, monitoring, inspections, and sampling to enforce the Food Safety and Standards Act.
* **Action Required:** Continue regular surveillance, monitoring, inspections and enforcement actions.
**Department of Consumer Affairs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing and implementing price monitoring and food quality compliance programs.
* **Action Required:** Maintain monitoring and reporting processes for price and compliance.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: Governs food safety and standards, including licensing and registration of food businesses.
FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011: Regulations governing the licensing and registration of food businesses.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: The ministry responsible for addressing price monitoring and food safety standards.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): Conducts quality checks and integrates with fair-price shops.
Price Monitoring System (PMS): A system used to monitor daily prices of essential food commodities.
Government of India
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Department of Consumer Affairs
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1676
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025
PRICE MONITORING
1676. DR. KADIYAM KAVYA:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC
DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:
(a) the details of price monitoring through the Order Management System (OMS); and
(b) the details of the fair-price shops inspected and the quality checks via Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) integration?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI B.L.VERMA)
(a) : Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the daily prices of 38 essential food commodities
submitted by the 575 price reporting centres across the country. Daily prices are submitted by the
price monitoring centres through the Price Monitoring System (PMS) Mobile App.
(b) : As per Section 31 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, No person shall commence or
carry any food business activity except under a license or registration. Accordingly, all Fair Price
Shops are required to obtain FSSAI License or Registration as per their eligibility before
commencement of food business.
Further, the general requirements on hygiene and sanitary practices have been laid down
under Part I and II of Schedule 4 of FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses)
Regulations, 2011 for Registered and Licensed Food Businesses respectively. Every Food Business
Operator (FBO) is bound to adhere to these conditions, failing which, FBO is liable for enforcement
action as per FSS Act, 2006.
FSSAI through State/UTs and its regional offices conduct regular surveillance, monitoring,
inspection and random sampling of food products to check compliance of the standards laid down
under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, Rules and Regulations made thereunder. In cases where
the food samples are found to be non-conforming, penal action has been initiated against the
defaulting Food Business Operators as per provisions of FSS Act, Rules and Regulations made
thereunder.
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