Unit 1 Teaching
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Food Laws and UNIT 3 FOOD LAWS AND ASSOCIATED Associated Bodies BODIES Structure 3.0 Objective 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Food Laws and Standards 3.3 Indian: PFA, FPO, MPO, BIS, AGMARK Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) Fruit Products Order (FPO) Meat Products Order (MPO) Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) AGMARK Standard 3.4 International: AOAC, USDA, FDA, ISO, Codex Alimentarius, HACCP, GMP Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) International Standards Organization (ISO) Codex Alimentarius Hazard Analysis and Critical Contort Point (HACCP) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) 3.5 Export Promotion Council 3.6 APEDA and MPEDA Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) 3.7 Food Health Authority 3.8 NABL 3.9 FRAC 3.10 MFPI, Ministry of Health 3.11 Total Quality Management 3.12 Product Certificate & Licensing 3.13 Let Us Sum Up 3.14 Key Words 3.15 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises 3.16 Some Useful Books 3.0 OBJECTIVES After reading this unit, you should be able to: • know types of standards; • state prevention of food adulteration act (PFA), FPO & MPO, Bureau of Indian standards (BIS), AGMARK standards; • learn international standards organization (ISO), AOAC, USDA and FDA • explain codex Alimentarius, HACCP, GMP; • know about different export promotion councils, APEDA, MPEDA; • know the organisations - NABL, MFPI, FRAC; and • organisation describe total quality management (TQM). 41 Introduction to Food Science and Technology 3.1 INTRODUCTION Food processing involves number of unit operations and material handling. So, there are always chances that the food may be contaminated. The food material should also contain essential nutrients. So, standards are formed and number of agencies and organizations are involved at national and international level to make the standards implement and regulate them. This unit covers Indian and international standards and implementing agencies, export promotion agencies of India, NABL, etc. The quality assurance systems like HACCP, TQM and GMP are also covered in brief. 3.2 FOOD LAWS AND STANDARDS Food is the basic need of all living organisms. Hence, its quality should be given top priority. Processing of the food and food products is usually done at mass scale. So, there are always the possibilities of food being adulterated. The contamination of food can affect a large number of populations at a time and hazards may occur. Secondly, the consumer must get the product for which he has paid. An article of food is called adulterated if the food contains any other substance which effects, or it so processed as to affect injuriously the nature, substance or quality, inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted, prepared and packed or kept under unsanitary condition whereby it has become contaminated or injurious to health, contains filthy, putrid rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance or is insect infested or is otherwise unfit for human consumption etc. The processors may add any prohibited preservative or permitted preservative in excess of the prescribed limits. So, it is essential to set the minimum quantities of desirable characteristics required and the maximum quantities of undesirable components that the food should contain. This also helps to set common standards for commodities and prevents confusion among consumers. Thus, the standards are formulated. There are several ways of arriving at the standards for product quality but four methods are commonly used; 1. Legal standards: Standards, which are established by government bodies. 2. Company or voluntary standards: Set by the various segments of food industry. Voluntary standards generally represent a consumer image and may become a trademark of product quality. 3. Industry standards: An organized group attempts to establish given limits of quality for any food product. Normally these become effective by pressure from marketing organizations or by specific commodity groups where legal standards are not involved. 4. Consumer or grade standards: The consumer standards represent the consumer requirements of a product and are generally based on experience of the industry with its consumer. Out of these, the legal standards are the most important. In fact the government has empowered several agencies and promulgated a number of acts and orders to contract the menace. Agencies and institutions have also been created to lay down standards for the quality of foods. The manner in which the food is processed and packaged is also covered by a number of regulations. Many different types of standards apply to the evaluation, production, testing, and 42 monitoring of dietary supplements. Regulations and product standards are used, as the “yardsticks” that define specific requirements manufacturers must Food Laws and Associated Bodies follow to assure product safety and to provide accurate information to health professionals and consumers. These standards also encourage the safety and quality of products by manufacturer making sure that the product meets the standards. 3.3 INDIAN STANDARDS The Government of India is fully aware of the possibilities of food being adulterated. It has therefore, several agencies, acts, standards and orders which have been formed to formulate standards, implement them, check the adulteration and protect the consumers. Some agencies and institutions were created to lay down standards for the quality of foods. The main agencies involved in this are described below. 3.3.1 Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) One of the early acts to be promulgated in food laws and standards was the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954, which has been in force since June 1,1955, amended 1964 and again in 1976. The objective of this act was to ensure that food articles sold to the customers are pure and wholesome. It is also intended to prevent fraud or deception and encourages fair trade practices. The Act prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of not only adulterated foods but also foods contaminated with toxicants and misbranded foods. A central committee for food standards has been constituted under the Act and has been charged with the function of advising the Central Government on matters relating to the Food standards. The Food Health Authority is appointed at state level who is the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. He is responsible for the good quality and standards of foods available to the consumers. Under FHA are the Local Health Authority (LHA). There is a Local Health Authority appointed in each city in every state. 3.3.2 Fruit Products Order (FPO) The Government of India promulgated a Fruit Products order in 1946. In 1955, the order was revised. The Fruit Products Order (FPO) lays down statutory minimum standards in respect of the quality of various fruits and vegetable products and processing facilities. The FPO is enforced by the Department of Health. Presently there is a little over 5198 units registered under the Fruit Products Order of 1955 distributed all over the country. Most of the units fall in the cottage or small-scale sector. A few modern processing plants have, now come up and many more are in the pipeline. The installed capacity which was 11.08 lakh tonnes, in 1993 increased to 21.00 lakh tonnes at the end of the year 1999. 3.3.3 Meat Products Order (MPO) It provides means to: 1. Detect and destroy meat of diseased animals. 2. Ensure that the preparation and handling of meat and meat products be conducted in a clean and sanitary manner. 43 Introduction to Food 3. Prevent the use of harmful substances in meat foods. Science and Technology 4. See that every cut piece of meat is inspected before sale to ensure its wholesomeness. The order also lays down rules and conditions for the procedure to be adopted for the selection of disease-free animals, slaughterhouse practices. 3.3.4 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Organization established as a Society in 1947 as Indian Standards Institution and subsequently made a statutory body as BIS under Bureau of Indian Standards Act 1986. The Bureau comprises of members representing industry, consumer organizations, scientific and research institutions, professional/technical institutes, central ministries, State Government and Members of Parliament. The functions of Bureau are; 1. Standard Formulation. 2. Certification: Product, Quality Management System, Eco Mark, Environment Management System, Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. 3. Laboratory: Testing, Calibration and Management. 4. Standards Promotion. 5. Consumer Affairs. 6. Awareness and Training Programs. There are 14 Technical departments engaged in formulation of Standards. So far 17000 Standards have been formulated in different technological areas depending upon the National priority. These standards are evolved through the consensus from sectors such as industry, Consumers, testing and laboratory experts and Government organization by co-opting them in the related technical committees, sub committee and panels. The standards are reviewed time-to-time and continuously updated to match the technological changes taking place. The BIS has formulated 1133 standards which pertains to food products. 3.3.5 AGMARK Standard The AGMARK standard was set up by the Directorate of