Food Safety and Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a note on Reward Scheme for Whistle blowers for Information on cases of Food Adulteration and Safe Food, FSSAI FDA Bhawan Kotla Road, New Delhi, Dated: 10.07.2012
Brief Interpretation of Scheme:
If any person who have any information related to adulteration/misbranding /misleading advertisement or any other violation of provision of FSSA Rules and Regulation being committed by any Food Business Operator, he can send the information in the prescribe format to The CEO, FSSAI at [email protected]. If the information is correct or valid then he will be awarded with cash of rupees 500/-. Identity of the informer will be kept an absolute secret.
The original content of the note issued by FSSAI are given below:
You may use the following form for conveying intelligence or information –which you may have in your possession-regarding offence committed or likely to be committed by anyone in violation of Food Safety and Standards Act,2006.(Reward of RS 500/- will be given to you once we establish validity).To see the prescribed format please visit ….Prescribed form format.docx
- As per Section 3(1)(b) of FSS Act, 2006,”Advertisement” means “any audio or visual publicity, representation or pronouncement made by means of any light, sound, smoke, gas, print, electronic media, internet or website and includes through any notice, circular, label, invoice or other documents.
- Section 24 of FSS Act, 2006 defines Restrictions of Advertisement and prohibition as to unfair trade practices.
- The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling –Section23 of FSS Act,2006) Regulation,2011 includes definition of Health Claims, Nutritional Claims and Claims for Risk Reduction.
- Section 2.2 of FSS (Packaging and Labelling ) Regulations, 2011 defines General Requirements and Labelling of Pre-packaged food
Implications of Scheme:
- Any unscrupulous Food Business Operator who is engaged in unlawful activity of adulterating or contaminating or providing the unsafe food in any way to the community, will be brought to the book.
- The Food Law or FSSAI cannot make available safe food without the co-operation of the consumer and the general public.
- By sharing this information with the FSSAI, consumers are not only contributing to the good cause but also getting reward.
Background on Scheme:
Section 95 of Food Safety and Standards Act empowers the Government to pay reward to a person who renders help in detection of adulteration/misbranding or any violation of the provisions of Food Safety Act, Rules and Regulations being committed by anyone. For giving such reward, a procedure has to be notified by the Government. In this regard FSSAI made draft Regulations and published on the website of FSSAI on 16.08.2011 for inviting objections or suggestions from the public by 7.09.2011.After considering the objections and suggestions from the public, the final reward scheme was published by the FSSAI on the website i.e. [email protected] on 10.07.2012.
Call for Action:
- If you come across any case of adulteration/misbranding/misleading food, you should send the information in the prescribed format to The CEO at [email protected]. .
- Help the Food Safety Department to eradicate the menace of food adulteration or any unfair or deceptive practice in the Food Business.
- If you have any doubts regarding this Reward Scheme note, you can ask freely and share your comments with us.
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