BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said that it has decided to set up 6 new branch offices, 4 new import offices and 2 new food laboratories in the country.

With this, FSSAI will have 4 regional offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, 12 branch offices and 6 import offices. In addition, it will have 4 national food laboratories at Kolkata, Ghaziabad (Delhi NCR), Mumbai JNPT and Chennai and two food laboratories at Sanauli and Raxaul on Indo-Nepal border.

FSSAI’s new branch offices will be in Bhopal, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad and the new import offices will be at Attari, Kandla, Raxaul and Krishnapatnam.

The food regulator also plans to set up two new food laboratories at Mumbai JNPT and Chennai. Built-up space for the purpose is being taken on long-term lease from Chennai and JNPT Mumbai port authorities.

FSSAI Chairperson Rita Teaotia said that the expansion of the network of FSSAI offices and laboratories is to ensure that FSSAI has a Pan-India presence. This would help FSSAI to strengthen its inspection and enforcement activities and have better control of imported food.

She said, “Location of new offices has been decided after taking into account the workload of food imports and central licensing at various places. The work on identification of space for new offices has been initiated.