FSSAI has reconstituted its Scientific Panels (SP) and empanelled about 200 scientific experts from different scientific organisations such as ICMR, CSIR, ICAR, NIFTEM, IIT’s and various institutes working in the area of food safety and nutrition. These scientists will work with FSSAI for next three years and suggest FSSAI about the scientific aspects of food safety. This will further make way to notify food standards and regulations.
- FSSAI has also empanelled about 200 scientific experts that will work for next 3 years and suggest FSSAI about the scientific aspects of food safety.
- This will be used to notify food standards and regulations.
- 21 Scientific Panels where each comprises of 09 members.
- The Scientific Committee comprises of chair of 21 scientific panels & 06 independent members nominated by FSSAI.
- The Scientific Panels (SPs) are constituted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act) to develop standards, and provide scientific inputs to the FSSAI.
- The Scientific Committee (SC) is a statutory body constituted under the FSS Act to acts as the link between SPs and the FSSAI.
- SC examines the recommendations made by each of the panel and further recommends for approval by the Food Authority.
At the point of the inception of FSSAI, Food Authority commissioned only 8 SPs. Currently, there are a total of 21 SPs that comprise 11 vertical and 10 horizontal panels.
Each of these SPs is numbered for ease of co-ordination with different other bodies. All the vertical and horizontal SPs are listed as:
Horizontal Panels
SP-01 Food additives, Flavourings, Processing aids & Materials in contact with food
SP-02 Pesticides Residues
SP-03 Antibiotic Residues
SP-04 Genetically Modified Organisms and foods
SP-06 Biological Hazards
SP-07 Contaminants in the FoodChain
SP-08 Labelling and Claims/Advertisements
SP-09 Method of Sampling and Analysis
SP-18 Nutrition and Fortification
SP-20 Packaging
Vertical Panels
SP-05 Functional foods, Nutraceuticals, Dietetic Products and Other similar products
SP-10 Fish and Fisheries Products
SP-11 Cereals, Pulses & Legume and their products (including Bakery)
SP-12 Fruits & Vegetables and their products (including dried fruits and nuts)
SP-13 Meat & Meat Products, including poultry
SP-14 Milk & Milk Products
SP-15 Oils &Fats
SP-16 Sweets, Confectionery, Sweeteners Sugar &Honey
SP-17 Water (including flavoured water) & Beverages (non-alcoholic)
SP-19 Spices and Culinary Herbs
SP-21 Alcoholic Beverages