Key Partners of Indian Food Safety Emergency Response (FSER) Plan
As the food safety hazards may originate from multiple sectors (plant, animal, feed, processing, etc.) and impact human health, therefore, the key to a successful response is to involve all relevant stakeholders from food sectors and health sectors. This helps to ensure cooperation and collaboration by all interested parties and facilitates the sharing of information among responsible agencies. The key partners sectors to involve or consult may include Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Woman and Child Development, State food commissioners, Custom officers, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DADF)- state officers, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Spices Board, The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)/Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Export Inspection Council of India (EIC), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), TEA Board of India and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), consumer associations and the relevant agencies.
As regard to managing/controlling foodborne outbreaks/incidences, there is a need to establish a link between health and food sectors to exchange information during such situations. Since Integrated Diseases Surveillance Program (IDSP) under NCDC tasked to detect early warning signals of impending outbreaks and help initiate an effective response in a timely manner through district/state surveillance officers and rapid response team (RRT), the coordination of Food Safety Officers (FSOs) with Rapid Response Teams is essential to effectively respond to situations arising out of foodborne disease outbreaks/incidences.
Structural Components and their roles and responsibilities
National Emergency Contact Point (NECP):
It is a contact point from the national authority responsible for coordination of national food safety emergency response. FSSAI will function as National Emergency Contact Point (NECP).
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Liaisoning with Food safety risk assessment Committee (FSRAC), Food Safety Coordination Committee (FSCC) and relevant stakeholders/focal points including state food authorities
- Providing secretarial support and convening meeting of FSCC and FSRAC, as and when required
- Taking decision as may be necessary, after the approval of CEO, when it is not feasible to call meeting of FSCC and the reasons be recorded in writing
- Responsible for risk communication to related agencies both at domestic and international level, the public and media as appropriate during emergency situations
- Collecting data/information from both domestic as well international agencies as appropriate
- Maintaining the records/database on food safety emergencies and actions taken thereon
- Responding to food safety incidents and trigger on appropriate response
- Maintaining the list of nodal points/national focal points and food analysis laboratories and updating it regularly
- Identifying and promoting need for capacity building and awareness
- Ensure coordination of state food authority with NCDC and other health authorities to investigate and respond to food borne illness
- Also act as INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point of India and therefore shall be responsible for reporting urgent food safety incidents of potential international significance to the INFOSAN Secretariat; requesting international assistance through the INFOSAN Secretariat to respond to a food safety event or emergency, as necessary; and taking action on INFOSAN Alerts and disseminates information accordingly
- Any other additional functions as outlined for National Focal Points (NFP) within its organisation
National Focal Points (NFPs):
These are other national authorities who have stake in food safety. The following authorities/organization will nominate national focal points:
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), Ministry of Woman and Child Development (MWCD); and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- State food Authorities,
- Custom Department, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC),
- Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DADF)- state officers and,
- Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Spices Board, The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)/Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Export Inspection Council of India (EIC), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), TEA Board of India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Consumer organisations.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Nominate Nodal officer and share this information with NECP and other focal points
- Collaborate with and provides technical support to the NECP on food safety incidents/emergencies involving their respective agency
- Support local government efforts through resource and technical assistance during emergencies
- Engage in surveillance of food products in accordance with purview of their organisation
- Engage in sharing information with NECP including surveillance data and other members on food safety issues that may be relevant at the national and/or international level and beneficial to all members, such as, but not limited to: risk assessments on emerging hazards, lessons learnt, identified good practices, etc.
- Disseminate INFOSAN Information Notes, FAO/WHO guidelines, and other important food safety information received from INFOSAN within their agency, as appropriate
Food safety risk assessment Committee (FSRAC):
FSRAC is a risk assessment body and shall be responsible for providing technical and scientific support both in normal or emergency situations. The committee shall provide preliminary information of risk assessment to identify emergency situations and their levels of severity in order to support decision making by the Food Safety Coordination Committee (FSCC) and FSSAI.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Establish a system for risk assessment and collecting data in the case of emergency
- Analyse the gathered data/information in order to perform assessment of risk, its magnitude and range of the hazards as well as emergency events
- Provide advice to Food Safety Coordination Committee (FSCC) and FSSAI based on the risk assessment of hazards identified during food safety incidents
- Carry post incident review and evaluation and give suggestions/advices to further improve FSER systems based on gaps identified, if any, to the FSSAI and FSCC
Food Safety Coordination Committee (FSCC):
FSCC is a committee constituted by FSSAI and shall be responsible for the implementation or management of food safety emergencies. The committee shall consider information related to range of hazards, its magnitude and affected people while making decisions. The Committee may support finances and other resources, if required, for operations.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
- To take decisions for controlling and management of food safety emergency situations based on the recommendation of FSRAC
- Direct the planned measures to related agencies in implementing control and monitoring actions
- Monitor, evaluate and review the measures used that are fit to the situation.
- Consider and make a decision when the situation has been controlled in order to increase or decrease the response level, including incident closure.
- Advice for policy making for management and control of food safety emergency situation from time to time.
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