FSSAI and AOAC INTERNATIONAL Join Forces to Strengthen Food Safety Analytical Ecosystem in India

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and AOAC INTERNATIONAL (AOAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate and enhance the food safety analytical ecosystem in India. The MoU signing ceremony took place at the FSSAI headquarters in New Delhi, in the presence of esteemed dignitaries, including Mr. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI, Mr. Satyen Kumar Panda, Advisor (Quality Assurance) FSSAI, Mr. Shrinvas Joshi, President, AOAC-India Section, Dr. Ganesh Ramamurthi – President-Elect, AOAC-India Section, and Dr. Saurabh Arora – Director, AOAC-India Section.

The MoU, signifies the commitment of both FSSAI and AOAC to jointly work towards achieving common objectives for the advancement of food safety standards and analytical practices in the country.

Key Objectives of the MoU:

1. Promoting Uniform Testing Methods: The collaboration aims to establish a system for uniform testing methods across the country, ensuring robust analytical systems are in place to meet the needs of food testing laboratories.
2. Method Adoption and Sharing: FSSAI will be granted gratis access to AOAC Official Methods, providing the Indian food safety ecosystem access to globally recognized testing methods.
3. Method Development and Validation: Both organizations will actively collaborate in the development and validation of analytical methodologies, ensuring accuracy and reliability in food testing practices.

Areas of Cooperation:

The MoU covers various critical aspects, including food testing analysis, method sharing, method development, and method validation. Both FSSAI and AOAC will work together to advance the adoption of AOAC Official Methods in FSSAI notified laboratories, fostering better food safety practices and ensuring the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Importance of the MoU:

The partnership between FSSAI and AOAC INTERNATIONAL is of paramount importance for India’s food safety landscape. By leveraging AOAC’s globally recognized expertise and standards, FSSAI aims to enhance its analytical capabilities and align with international best practices, ultimately strengthening the food safety ecosystem in the country.

Mr. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “This collaboration with AOAC INTERNATIONAL marks a significant milestone in our efforts to improve food safety standards in India. By adopting globally accepted testing methods, we aim to create a robust and reliable food testing ecosystem for the well-being of our citizens.”

Mr. Shrinvas Joshi, President of AOAC-India Section, also shared his thoughts, “We are pleased to join hands with FSSAI to promote scientific cooperation and enhance food safety practices in India. Together, we will work towards harmonizing analytical methodologies and fostering better food safety assurance in the region.”

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, dedicated to laying down science-based standards for food articles and regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure safe and wholesome food for the Indian population.

AOAC INTERNATIONAL, founded in 1884, is a renowned global organization committed to serving the analytical community by providing laboratory capacity building, conformity assessment, method validation, and the promotion of globally accepted testing standards. The organization plays a pivotal role in developing microbiological and chemical standards, contributing significantly to the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) for the adoption of international methods.