CAG flags lapses in enforcement of food safety norms

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India flagged inordinate delay in testing samples and reporting results by Food Analysis Laboratories (FAL) in the State. Audit scrutiny of data revealed that in the six FALs, 62,170 samples (52,255 enforcement and 9,915 surveillance samples) were tested and reported during 2020-23 of which in 55,091 cases (88.61%) the analysis report on the test results was inordinately delayed.

There were FALs at Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Palayamkottai, Salem and Thanjavur.

In its audit report (compliance audit) for the year ending March 2023 that was tabled in the Assembly, CAG noted that as per Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act and Rules, the report of the food analyst should be sent within 14 days of receiving the article of food for analysis.

But there was inordinate delay in testing the samples and reporting the results, which include reports of unsafe samples. The period of delay ranged from one month to over two years. The report observed that this allowed these foods to be consumed by the public during the period of delay and affected timely corrective actions such as food recall procedure, thereby defeating the basic objective of food safety and exposing the public to unsafe food.

The government, in June 2024, replied that the delay was due to high vacancy of analysts in the FALs and the receipt of samples were higher than the capacity of the facilities. Additionally, it noted that the labs could not function in full swing during COVID-19 lockdown.

Inordinate delay in obtaining accreditation by FALs led to samples being sent to NABL accredited private laboratories, resulting in discarding 19.79% of the samples collected, as they had expired before analysis.

CAG also observed insufficient testing of samples by FALs. Checks on all prescribed parameters and characteristics for analysing the standards were not carried out in any of the laboratories.

The audit also flagged inadequate storage facilities in the offices of the Designated Officers and the samples were found dumped in racks under unhygienic conditions.

A comprehensive database of Food Business Operators was found lacking. There were also a few inconsistencies – not all Anganwadi Centres and slaughter houses in the State were registered. For instance, from 2020-21 to 2022-23, the slaughterhouses in the State ranged between 92 and 93 whereas those which were registered/licensed ranged only between 60 and 62 leaving around one-third of the slaughterhouses outside the ambit of the FSS Act.

The audit also observed that vacancies in the cadre of Food Safety Officers resulted in lesser number of inspections, shortfall in collection of food samples for testing and delay in initiating adjudication and prosecution.