India: India's FSSAI Issues New Direction for Referral Laboratories for Sampling of Imported Food Product Consignments

On October 21, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued Direction No. TIC-C-503(T)/1/2022-IMPORTS-FSSAI. The FSSAI direction (guidelines) pertains to FORM-2, Section C as referred to in sub-regulation 10(5) of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) (Import) Regulations (2017). The direction indicates that referral laboratories are to test only for non-conforming parameters and for those that were not tested at the primary laboratory. Previously, if an imported food consignment’s sampling failed the primary laboratory sample testing and analysis, the sample would be sent to the referral laboratory for retesting and analysis. Earlier guidelines required the referral laboratories to test for all the parameters specified in the FSS regulations. The FSSAI sustains that this direction will help avoid delays in the clearance of imported food consignments, as well as provide for effective utilization of resources for other pending samples.