**Policy Summary: Food Import Inspection Responsibilities**
This document summarizes the Indian government's response to questions regarding the delegation of food import inspection responsibilities to Customs Officers under the Food Safety and Standards Import Regulations, 2017. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare addresses concerns about the implications of this delegation, its impact on food safety enforcement, and measures to enhance coordination between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Customs.
**Key Points:**
* **Delegation of Authority:** Customs officers are notified as Authorised Officers (AO) by FSSAI and follow the inspection procedures outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Import Regulations, 2017. This involves document scrutiny and visual inspection. Laboratory testing of imported samples is conducted exclusively by FSSAI-notified laboratories.
* **Quality and Consistency of Enforcement:** High-risk food items, as identified by FSSAI, are permitted to be imported only through Points of Entry (PoEs) where FSSAI officers are directly notified as AO. Customs officers acting as AO conduct document scrutiny and visual inspection, with sample testing performed by FSSAI-notified laboratories.
* **Coordination and Training:** To build the capacity of Customs Officers notified as Authorised Officers, FSSAI conducts regular online and classroom training sessions. These sessions cover key regulatory requirements specified under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations for clearing imported food consignments. FSSAI has also developed an online self-training module, the Food Import Clearance Training of Authorised Custom Officers (FICTAC), specifically for Customs Officers notified as Authorised Officers.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): An autonomous body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 responsible for setting and regulating food standards in India.
Customs Officers: Officials responsible for enforcing import and export regulations, including food safety standards, at Points of Entry (PoEs).
Food Safety and Standards Import Regulations, 2017: Regulations governing the import of food items into India, outlining inspection procedures and standards.
Points of Entry (PoEs): Designated locations, such as seaports and airports, where imported goods, including food, enter India.
Authorised Officer (AO): Customs officers are notified as Authorised Officer by FSSAI to follow the procedure of inspection as mentioned in Food Safety and Standards Import, Regulations, 2017
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: The primary legislation in India governing food safety and standards.
SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV: Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, responsible for answering the parliamentary question.
Food Import Clearance Training of Authorised Custom Officers (FICTAC): An online self-training module developed by FSSAI for training Customs Officers notified as Authorised Officer.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3227
TO BE ANSWERED ON8THAUGUST, 2025
ROLE OFFSSAIAND CUSTOMSIN FOODIMPORT
3227.SHRISRIBHARATMATHUKUMILLI:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the implications of delegating food import
inspection responsibilities to Customs Officers at various Points of Entry (PoEs) under Food
SafetyandStandards (Import) Regulations, 2017;
(b) if so, the details of any such assessments conducted during the last ten years, including
capacity audits or performance evaluations of Customs Officers acting as FSSAI Authorised
Officers,year-wise;
(c) whether this delegation has impacted the quality and consistency of food safety
enforcement, particularly in screening high-risk imports such as spices and edible oils, if so,
the detailsthereof; and
(d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to enhance coordination between
FSSAI and Customs, strengthen officer training, and ensure independent, science-based
scrutiny of food consignmentsenteringthrough landandseaports?
ANSWER
THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) & (b): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Customs officers
as Authorised Officer (AO) to follow the same procedure of inspection as mentioned in Food
Safety and Standards (Import), Regulations, 2017. As per the prescribed procedure, documents
scrutiny andvisual inspection isdone bythe Customs officers notifiedasAO andthe laboratory
testing of the imported sample is done by the FSSAI notified laboratory. Safety and Quality
parameters of the imported products are ascertained only through the FSSAI notified lab. The
same procedure isfollowed by FSSAI officersnotifiedasAO.
(c): FSSAI Vide Notice dated 11th January, 2023, High risk food items as identified byFSSAI are permitted to be imported only through those Points of Entry (PoEs) where FSSAI
officers are directly notified as ‘AO’. Further, Customs officers notified as AO by FSSAI do
documents scrutiny and visual inspection and the sample is tested byFSSAI notified laboratory
only.
(d): For capacity building of Customs Officers notified as Authorised Officer by FSSAI,
both online and classroom trainings are regularly conducted on the key regulatory requirement
specified under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations made there under
regarding the clearance of imported food consignments FSSAI has also developed an online
self-training module, i.e. Food Import Clearance Training of Authorised Custom Officers
(FICTAC) for trainingof Customs Officers notifiedasAuthorised Officer.
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