What percentage of paneer samples failed food safety tests in India?

Over 80% of paneer samples failed safety standards in nationwide testing over the last couple of years.

How does India's food traceability compare to China?

India's food supply chains lack clear records, while China tracks high-risk foods using QR codes for quick tracing.

What are the economic costs of unsafe food in India?

Unsafe food costs India approximately $15 billion annually due to healthcare spending, lost productivity, and premature deaths.

Home / Business and Economy / India's Food Safety Crisis: Outdated Rules, Weak Action

India's Food Safety Crisis: Outdated Rules, Weak Action

22 Jan

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Summary

Over 80% of paneer samples failed safety standards nationwide.
India lacks food traceability, unlike China's QR code system.
Low conviction rates and fines limit FSSAI's enforcement impact.

India's Food Safety Crisis: Outdated Rules, Weak Action

India's food safety standards are lagging, with outdated regulations and inconsistent enforcement by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). A recent nationwide test revealed over 80% of paneer samples failed safety standards, underscoring a lack of traceability in food supply chains. Unlike China's QR code system for high-risk foods, India struggles to trace adulterated products back to their source.

Enforcement in India is often post-market, unlike countries like Indonesia and China which employ pre-market safety checks. India's testing infrastructure is also insufficient, with approximately one enforcement lab for every 30,000 food businesses. This inadequacy makes universal testing unfeasible.

Furthermore, weak penalties and low conviction rates, with only 8,000 convictions from nearly 60,000 violation cases between 2015-16 and 2018-19, diminish the deterrent effect. Consumers are consequently forced to pay a 'trust premium' for branded products, exacerbating information asymmetry and pushing out smaller, honest producers.